Irrigators know there is a long path ahead but bipartisan support for the Murray Darling Basin Plan in parliament this week was a decisive, positive step.
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Southern Riverina Irrigators chair Gabrielle Coupland said farmers could now move forward with some certainty after the Greens had no support in the Senate for their disallowance motion to stop efficiency projects approved in the Basin Plan.
Mrs Coupland was in Canberra advocating for her rural communities ahead of the vote, meeting with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Jody Swirepik, water minister David Littleproud, opposition water spokesperson Tony Burke and other members of parliament.
“It was to make sure the opposition and government understand that irrigators aren’t just all about more water,” she said of her time in the capital.
“We want a healthy basin as well. We’re all in this together, we all want the best outcomes for our basin, environment, communities and businesses.”
She said having cross-party support should keep the plan’s water reforms on track regardless of who was in government.
“The consultation now begins and a very, very strong effort will be placed on making sure the 450 does not come from productive water,” Mrs Coupland said.
“There’s no room for that. We’ve suffered enough.”
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority welcomed parliament’s support, saying the proposed projects would mean that across the basin, 675GL more water would remain in communities while securing efficiency improvements for those communities, which would in turn deliver 450GL in water to the environment.
“This is good news for basin communities and the environment,” authority chief executive Phillip Glyde said.
“These changes will help protect communities in the southern basin from unnecessary further socio-economic impacts of water recovery, while also securing important improvements to allow water for the environment to be used more efficiently and effectively.
“In the southern basin, work will now be able to progress on design, consultation and implementation of important projects to help us get water for the environment to the right place, at the right time, and in the right amount.”
The Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia said the amendment to the Sustainable Diversion Limit was a crucial component of the Plan while NSW Farmers praised the uniform acceptance of the Plan.
“NSW Farmers is pleased that both major parties could put politics aside and vote to maintain efficiency projects as a secure feature of the Basin plan,” NSW Farmers president Derek Schoen wrote this week.
”The 36 projects on the table are not without their problems, which need careful attention as we move forward through the process … The plan must have the flexibility to amend or remove projects that are not working and support the development of new projects that are more appropriate.”