Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced last week the Federal Government had secured an agreement with all states except Victoria to extend the basin plan deadlines.
Victoria’s hard line in opposing buybacks of water from consumptive users is believed to have been the sticking point on the agreement.
But Ms Shing said her government would continue to support the basin plan and was looking forward to the next water ministers meeting when all states and the Commonwealth would be at the table.
She repeated earlier statements that Victoria had been the biggest contributor to water for the environment under the plan, and rejected allegations that Victoria was a ‘hold-out’ on water recovery.
“No basin jurisdiction has delivered more water for the environment than Victoria.
“We have the highest level of compliance and enforcement than any other jurisdiction around Australia.”
Ms Shing did not eleborate on discussions between the state and Commonwealth, but said there had been talks for some time between the Commonwealth and basin states around an extension of time to deliver a range of projects to return water to the environment.
“Victoria has made more progress to return water to environment than any other jurisdiction and before the most recent ministerial council I had indicated Victoria was very keen to see an extension of time to deliver on those projects,” she said.
“We have seen hundreds of thousands of hours go into the nine projects we are ready and willing and able to deliver.
“I look forward to the Commonwealth continuing to partner with Victoria to continue to deliver those projects.
“They will not only put that work to good use they will deliver on the objectives of the basin plan.
“Nothing in the Commonwealth proposal changes our position that buybacks should not be pursued.”
Ms Shing said it was an over-simplification to say that this issue was a contest between irrigators and the environment.
“This is about striking a balance that recognises the long standing and careful work being done in regional communities to support the provision of water to the environment and to support healthy river and riparian systems.”
Ms Shing would not be drawn on how she felt when the Federal Government (also a Labor government) had announced Victoria was not part of the new agreement.
Under the new agreement, the timeline to recover 450 gigalitres of water earmarked for the environment has been pushed out until the end of 2027 and water infrastructure projects until the end of 2026, after the initial June 2024 target was on track to be missed.
The new plan includes more options and funding to deliver the remaining water, such as through voluntary buybacks.
Ms Plibersek said voluntary water buybacks would complement the infrastructure projects and that all options remained on the table.
“What I’m proposing for that 450 gigalitres is that instead of relying on some mythical projects that haven’t eventuated until now, and are unlikely to eventuate in the future, we’ll also be open to water purchase,” she said.
But the minister said she wanted to be careful speculating about the details of the water buybacks — such as how much money would be made available — as it would have the potential to distort the water market.
