Senator joins voice against federal water buybacks

Riverrine Herald: Shannon Colee

Senator David Van has joined the Murray River Group of Councils to call for the Federal Government to rethink its proposed legislation that could see the reintroduction of water buybacks.

“If you take out 25 per cent of the water hitting this part of Victoria and across the river in NSW, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what impact that's going to have on the farmers,” Senator Van said.

Last Friday, Mr Van travelled to a Tongala farm to discuss the issue with Australian Dairy Farmers members Andrew Tyler and Ann Gardiner.

Mr Tyler said he had already made changes to his farm in order to increase sustainability and to implement more water buybacks would make dairy farming impossible.

“We've made it quite clear that as a dairy industry we are going to be decimated if the buybacks go ahead in this region,” he said.

“Even though I want to keep farming and keep irrigating, we've got an irrigation scheme that was developed. We've already lost 30 per cent of it with buybacks already.” Senator Van said there were better ways to look after the local environment and the Murray River than through water buybacks, which he believes will have massive flow-on effects with the economy. “There’s a fairer way to do this that’s going to be better for the environment, better for the economy and certainly better for the communities that are going to be starved of work and, therefore, of livelihoods,” he said.

“Buybacks are such a blunt instrument and it's hitting people like Andy over the head rather than looking at engineering solutions, better environmental conditions, but also, spreading the load so that the northern rivers are paying their fair share.”

When introducing the contentious legislation, Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said the Coalition waged “an insidious war against the (Murray-Darling Basin) plan.” “They tied up projects in impossible rules, so they couldn’t deliver water savings. They blocked water recovery programs. And they tried to cut the final recovery targets, to keep them below scientific recommendations,” she said.

“Responsible governments plan for tough times. They don’t wait for them to arrive, when it’s too late. They prepare their defences well in advance. And that is what we’re doing with this legislation.” Campaspe Shire Mayor Rob Amos said the MRGC communities wanted their concerns and fears to be heard, and taken seriously, by politicians of all persuasions. “The Murray River Group of Councils appreciates Senator Van taking the time to visit our region to talk with our community about what’s at stake,” Cr Amos said.

“It is only through talking and listening to the people water buybacks will directly impact that the gravity of their potential reintroduction can really be understood.

“We are not only against the Australian Government reintroducing water buybacks. We are also against the government’s proposal to remove the socio-economic impact test from the basin plan implementation.” Cr Amos invited Ms Plibersek to come to the region and speak to residents about the outcome of her proposed bill.

“I'd invite people, the politicians to come up and have a chat to us, especially Minister Plibersek,” he said. “I know she was in Mildura a few weeks ago and that's great, but we'd love to see her in our area down here as well.”