More time for basin plan but buyback fears remain

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority told Federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek on July 25 that the full implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan would not be possible by its June 30, 2024 deadline.

“Having considered the current progress towards legislative priorities for water recovery, the progress of projects for the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM), water resource plans and northern basin initiatives, it is the authority’s view that the basin plan will not achieve its intended outcomes by the due date,” MDBA chair Sir Angus Houston said.

“While much has been achieved in the decade of basin plan implementation, the authority remains deeply concerned about key aspects of the plan’s delivery,” he said.

“There will be a shortfall of water for the environment as set in the basin plan.”

VFF Water Council chair Andrew Leahy said common sense had prevailed following Ms Plibersek’s announcement to allow efficiency projects to progress and be counted towards the plan’s targets.

Mr Leahy said despite the welcome news, “the VFF remains very concerned that Minister Plibersek believes there is a 750 Gl shortfall in the basin plan”.

“The only way she can come up with that number is by including the 450 Gl up-water target, pushing the basin plan to a 3200 Gl target.”

He said the 450 Gl was never guaranteed and remained subject to the socio-economic test, reiterating that water buybacks breached the socio-economic test.

National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson said the extension would buy time for smarter completion of the plan without resorting to devastating buybacks.

“We all want to see the plan completed, but a mad sprint to the finish line that hurts communities was never the right answer,” Ms Simson said.

“The minister has sought and received reams of proposals that could deliver more than enough water to complete the plan without the need for devastating buybacks. An extension provides time for thorough assessment and implementation of those ideas.”

National Irrigators’ Council chief executive officer Isaac Jeffrey said the timeline extension meant basin communities could “avoid the absolute devastation which would come from water buybacks”.

“It is now up to the states to get out into communities, consult, finalise project plans and get their Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects, delayed by floods and COVID, delivered within these new time-frames,” Mr Jeffrey said.

Southern Riverina Irrigators and Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell have accused Ms Plibersek of playing politics with the livelihoods of communities.

“It is impossible to minimise the socio-economic impacts of buybacks when every single megalitre that leaves our productive sector negatively impacts our communities,” SRI said.

“The plan is based on out-of-date modelling and has always been about political point scoring — never about environmental outcomes.”

Mr Birrell said Ms Plibersek was using the June 2024 deadline to falsely claim the basin plan will fall 750 Gl of water recovery targets.

“I welcome the water minister finally acknowledging that the deadline needs to be extended to achieve the plan, but it has generated a lot of fear and anxiety in basin communities to get to this point,” he said.

Ms Plibersek wrote to Sir Angus in early July, requesting advice on whether the basin plan’s 2075 Gl water recovery target could be achieved by next year’s deadline.

Responding to the MDBA’s advice on July 25, Ms Plibersek said the Federal Government remained committed to delivering the plan in full.

With 16 key SDLAM projects unlikely to be operable by June 30, 2024, the MDBA estimates a shortfall in water recovery of between 190 and 315 gigalitres.

Sir Angus said very little progress had been made in achieving the 450 Gl/year efficiency target, and this water would not be recovered by June 30 as required under current settings.

“Only five of 20 water resource plans in NSW have been accredited,” he said.

“These plans are more than four years behind schedule, and NSW still has seven plans to submit for assessment by the MDBA. Accreditation of these plans brings the basin plan into on-ground action and ensures they can be assessed for compliance.”

Sir Angus said critical measures for improving outcomes in the northern basin would not be delivered on time. Only two of six are on track for delivery by June 30. The remaining four measures are expected to take longer, delaying the achievement of environmental outcomes.

“While these numbers help track our progress towards implementation, the basin plan is about much more,” he said.

“It is about delivering outcomes that provide healthy rivers, floodplains and ecosystems in ways that take into account socio-economic considerations.

“Ten years ago the Australian Government, and the governments of NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, made a world-leading commitment to a healthy future for the basin.

“Implementation of the basin plan is at a critical juncture. It is important that the challenges inhibiting the full delivery of the basin plan are quickly addressed to provide a clear pathway forward.

“With a changing climate, implementing the basin plan remains central to giving our rivers and the communities that depend on them the best chance of a healthy future. Our best chance to deliver rivers, for generations.”

Read the MDBA’s advice to Ms Plibersek at: www.mdba.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/authority/authority-statements