Murray-Darling Basin’s water efficiency program axing a ‘lost opportunity’ for SA farmers
The government has suddenly dumped its Murray-Darling efficiency program after farm upgrades failed to return water to the rivers.
SA News
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The sudden cancellation of the Murray-Darling Basin’s water efficiency program is a lost opportunity to help farmers rely on less water, says the Renmark Irrigation Trust.
Water Minister Keith Pitt has announced the Federal Government’s program would be closed, in favour of a scheme that did not reduce farmers’ water entitlements.
He said the on-farm water-saving program had recovered just 0.2GL since 2019 – only .04 per cent of the 450GL in additional water it was trying to return to the Basin to improve its health.
A $1.5bn program will now focus on improving infrastructure outside of farm land.
There will be $1.33bn available for state-led off-farm projects and $150m in direct grants. Another $60m was still available for states to pursue “limited on-farm water efficiency”, Mr Pitt said.
Renmark Irrigation Trust general manager Rosalie Auricht said “any program that’s respectful of communities and delivers environmental water is a positive thing”.
However, she said winding back the on-farm efficiency program was also a lost opportunity for farmers to make their businesses more viable.
Schemes such as the government’s water efficiency program helped pay for a suite of local projects, such as shade structures, packing sheds and irrigation upgrades, Ms Auricht said.
“I think we’ll have disappointed people in South Australia, but it just wasn’t taken up interstate,” Ms Auricht said.
About 50 potential off-farm projects have been identified, including a plan to upgrade ageing water infrastructure in the Goulburn-Murray district in Victoria. It is expected to recover 15.9GL of environmental water savings.
State Water Minister David Speirs said the project marked “the most significant step forward” in delivering the 450GL of environmental flows.
“To see Victoria commit to a project of this size is encouraging and with around 150GL of other projects currently being considered by the Federal Government, there is more action to deliver the (Basin) plan than ever before,” he said.
SA Murray Irrigators chair Caren Martin believed producers did not want to see more water recovered from within horticulture.
“It has been overtaken and it’s playing out in excessive prices in the water market,” she said.
“They do need to look at some other way of achieving the Basin plan targets in the face of what so far hasn’t been working.”
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