Government support lacking for water targeted districts

That’s the finding from a report commissioned to look into the impact of environmental water recovery in buybacks for the Murray-Darling Basin.

The report, by Ethos Urban, formerly Essential Economics, found a big difference between how state and federal governments compensated the Latrobe region, which lost Hazelwood Power Station in 2017, and the money offered to Goulburn-Murray irrigation communities for the loss of irrigation water.

The report was commissioned by the City of Greater Shepparton and found that while 1380 jobs are estimated to have been lost under the existing basin plan, a further 640 jobs could go if the Federal Government persists in taking a further 450 gigalitres of water.

“In comparative terms, therefore, government support to the Latrobe Valley in response to the Hazelwood Power Station, closure is about 10 times that provided to GMID communities in response to the direct job losses associated with the implementation of the basin plan.”

The report suggests a further $527 in government transitional support is needed for northern Victoria.

State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said while the Victorian Government talked a big game publicly on opposition to the Federal Government’s buybacks, they were not doing enough to protect northern Victorian irrigators.

“The state is actually doing very little to stop the Commonwealth government’s buybacks,” Ms Lovell said.

“The support for the Gippsland region following the bushfires was enormous, compared to northern Victorian for the floods.”

Ms Lovell said the Victorian Labor government funded a million dollar campaign before the 2019 election to criticise the Morrison Government on health funding, and before the 2022 election, funded a $1.7 million “fair share” campaign.

She challenged the Victorian ALP government to launch a similar campaign on water buybacks before the next federal election.

“I didn’t get a very positive response,” Ms Lovell said after raising the issue in parliament.

A Victorian Government spokesperson said the Commonwealth Government had started a non-targeted water purchase program and it was the Commonwealth’s responsibility to provide a recovery program for communities affected by water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin as it implements its legislation.

“The Victorian Government is working to support affected communities by actively pursuing alternatives to buybacks through the Planning Our Basin Future Together prospectus,” the spokesperson said.

“Victoria remains opposed to buybacks and is working to protect the nation’s food bowl and the future of our regional communities, while also meeting Victoria’s obligations under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.”