It is therefore understandable that recent changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan have caused concern for many of the communities in our region.
The changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan give the Commonwealth Government greater scope to purchase water entitlements, removing water from irrigators’ consumptive pool.
The long-term health of the environment has always been one of the basin plan’s central goals, and at Goulburn-Murray Water, we have partnered in several projects supporting this objective.
With funding from both the state and federal government, we implemented the largest irrigation modernisation program in Australian history: the G-MW Connections project.
Its success led to the establishment of the Water Efficiency Project, and together, the two projects have created more than 450 Gl in annual water savings.
These savings have enabled us to provide additional water to the environment and for urban water security without affecting irrigators’ consumptive pool, therefore benefiting the economy as well as the environment.
Community involvement was a key part of both water recovery projects and will be similarly important to how we respond to the changes in the basin plan.
The Victorian Government recognises this and proposes a community-focused alternative to minimise the socio-economic impacts of the changes.
It outlines the considerable contributions to the basin plan since 2013, and how we can use the learnings from our involvement in the plan to secure the best outcomes for our communities and the environment going forward.
With the increased likelihood of the Commonwealth purchasing water entitlements, the Victorian Government prospectus, Planning our basin future together, reflects on previous instances where this has occurred and what could be done differently.
A major issue with previous buyback programs has been their untargeted nature.
Open tenders for water purchases result in what is often described as the ‘Swiss cheese effect’.
This refers to the patchy nature of buybacks, where irrigation is reduced haphazardly in several districts.
Delivering less water while still having the same costs relating to infrastructure operation and maintenance inevitably makes irrigation more costly and, for many, less sustainable.
Our irrigation network is crucial to the region’s prosperity, and it is therefore important that — along with the communities in our region — we are given the opportunity to inform any decisions on where buybacks may occur.
This is one of the areas where local knowledge and involvement is vital, as it can help in identifying the potential recovery areas that will have the biggest benefits and smallest economic impacts.
The Broken Reconfiguration Feasibility Study that is currently being undertaken is an example of how this can look.
The study is investigating potential ways the Broken System can be reconfigured to support the community in planning for reduced water availability.
The options being explored as part of the study seek to ensure productive agriculture has a sustainable future in the region, while also potentially providing opportunities for those wishing to sell their entitlements to do so.
Community involvement has been central to the Broken Reconfiguration Feasibility Study, as through various engagement forums we have heard the views of the water entitlement holders in this system.
The prospectus promotes a similar catchment by catchment approach to engagement, with strong community involvement to ensure their best interests are at the centre of any decision made.
To help ensure this, the Victorian Government is seeking public feedback on the Planning our basin future together prospectus.
I encourage you to share your thoughts on Victoria’s proposed approach by heading to the Engage Victoria website: https://www.engage.vic.gov.au/planning-our-basin-future-together
Charmaine Quick is G-MW’s managing director.
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