The Murray River Group — comprising Campaspe, Moira, Ganawarra, Loddon, Swan Hill and Mildura councils — has launched its #PushbackBuybacks campaign.
The move is aimed at stopping the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023 from becoming law.
Murray River Group chair and Campaspe Shire Mayor Rob Amos said the Bill proposed changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan that would reinstate water buybacks from farmers, putting livelihoods and communities at risk, and adding to cost-of-living pressures on Australian households.
“Extensive research and our collective experience tell us that water buybacks have dire socio-economic consequences,” Cr Amos said.
“Last time, they caused the loss of 1600 jobs, the closure of a milk factory and increased farming risk across our region.
“Our communities are only just getting back on their feet after the pandemic, fires and floods. The reintroduction of water buybacks would seal the fate of our vulnerable agricultural industries and further decimate our fragile regional communities.
“The proposed changes would also put at risk one of the nation’s largest food bowls.
“The fresh produce Australian families love, from farm-fresh milk and cheese to all kinds of fruit and vegetables, are mostly grown along the Murray River and its tributaries.
“It’s vitally important that we protect our food-growing areas and the right of all Australians to have access to affordable fresh Australian-grown produce.
“That’s why we’re encouraging all Australians to join us in sending a strong message to the Australian Government by signing the #PushbackBuybacks petition to keep Australiangrown food on the tables of Australian families.”
Agricultural production, food processing and associated businesses drive northern Victorian economies. Together, the agriculture and food processing sectors account for one third of all economic output, 43 per cent of all local expenditure and one in four jobs.
Previous water buybacks increased the cost of water for irrigators, pushing up input costs, including labour and shared infrastructure. This caused a raft of negative flow-on impacts, including:
- $500 million of lost productivity across the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District each year.
- Undermining the viability of irrigation districts, with 50 per cent less water used in the GMID in recent years.
- Irrigation job losses of more than 40 per cent in northern Victoria.
- Directly increased water market prices, ABARES estimates on average by $72/Ml.
“If the Bill goes through, there will be more pressure on the weekly shopping bill of Australian families,” Cr Amos said.
“The domino effect of reduced water and rising input costs are less dairy and meat production, and less availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.
“This, in turn, drives up the price of fresh produce and packaged food products at the checkout.”
The Murray River Group of Councils supports the environmental outcomes the Federal Government aims to achieve through the basin plan but believes there are better alternatives to buybacks, such as the water-saving and efficiency projects under way at Hattah Lakes and Gunbower Forest as part of the Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Project.
