‘Bully tactics’: NSW blasted for threat to quit Murray River plan
Irrigators from both SA and NSW have accused the latter’s government of “bully tactics” for threatening to pull out of the basin plan.
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Farmers, irrigators and the head of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority have blasted NSW for renewing its threat to leave the basin plan.
The NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey and Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Monday threatened to walk away unless a series of demands were met, prompting SA farmers to blast the “bully-type tactics”.
The NSW politicians declared the state could not contribute any water to the 450GL to maintain the health of the river, and demanded a “drought reserve” of 300GL rather than 80GL for the Menindee Lakes, where thousands of fish deaths occurred last summer.
Federal Water Minister David Littleproud criticised the threat, saying: “Pulling out of the plan will not return one drop of water to NSW farmers.”
Authority chief Phillip Glyde said it would be “counter-productive to the long run interests of farmers and rural economies”.
He warned if a state pulled out of the Basin Plan, the Federal Government was legally obliged to return to buying water licences from farmers.
SA Water Minister David Speirs said South Australians had “heard all this before”.
“We know that walking away from the Basin Plan would hurt the environment, communities and irrigators across the basin including those in NSW,” he said.
“These comments are particularly bizarre given just two weeks ago we agreed to turn on our desalination plant to help support drought-affected farmers across the country.”
NSW and SA irrigators criticised the move, with the NSW Irrigators’ Council saying it would be a “slap in the face” for irrigators, who had already done the “heavy lifting” on water recovery measures.
Chief executive Luke Simpkins said the NSW Government needed to “do their share” to implement projects to help the plan.
SA Murray Irrigators chair Caren Martin said it was an “idle threat” that would hurt NSW communities.
Primary Producers SA chief Rob Kerin said the “bully-type tactics” were disappointing.
“There’s a fair bit of emotion but not a lot of clear thought at the moment,” he said. Mr Kerin backed the Basin Plan, but said the water ministers needed to discuss improvements next month.
Labor water spokeswoman Susan Close said the 450GL was “almost certainly not going to be delivered”.
She called for the State Government to take legal action to keep the plan in place if required.
