States hit stalemate over Murray-Darling Basin Plan for water allocation

THE Murray states are on a path to “mutually assured destruction” if they can’t come to an agreement on water, SA Senator and Assistant Water Minister Anne Ruston says.

• More on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan:

• Authority recommends cutting water target
• Riverland residents skeptical of success
• Premier: Commission already forcing change

THE Murray River states are on a path to “mutually assured destruction” if they can’t come to an agreement on water flows, according to Liberal SA Senator and Assistant Water Minister Anne Ruston.

South Australia has hit a stalemate with both NSW and Victoria over the controversial Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The upstream states have refused to commit to 450 gigalitres of additional environmental flows.

State Water and River Murray Minister Ian Hunter says the 450 GL was a condition of SA agreeing to a package of 605 GL the other states want.

Sunrise at Waikerie on the Murray River. Picture: Bernard Humphreys

After the historic plan was debated at a ministerial meeting yesterday, Mr Hunter said SA would not shift.

Senator Ruston said there was a “complete impasse” but that she was hopeful the states would eventually agree.

“I don’t believe that even in their most hostile moments any of the states think this is a good outcome,” she said.

“I’m still confident they’ll reach a resolution and we’ll get on with the job.”

The plan, which in its original form pledges 3200 GL by 2024, has various adjustment mechanisms embedded in it.

The amounts depend on the extent of damage to river communities and if the same environmental outcomes can be achieved in other ways.

Yesterday’s meeting was the first since revelations of water theft from the system in July. Former Water Minister Barnaby Joyce did not attend; Nationals MP David Littleproud was announced as his replacement.

SA water minister Ian Hunter. Picture: Tom Huntley

“We cannot operate in good faith with Basin Ministers who are not willing to work for the benefit of all Basin states,” Mr Hunter said.

“The 450 GL is not an optional part of the Basin Plan. It was agreed to in 2012 and we have to deliver it.”

He said there were ways it could be delivered without adverse effects on river communities. He added that he was pleased on the other hand there was an agreement for better reporting of compliance in order to stop rorting.

Mr Littleproud, a Victorian MP, has previously warned that the plan will have “disastrous effects” on river communities.

Opposition water spokesman Tony Burke said the plan was designed to be flexible but the “deadlock” because of the stoush meant there was no movement.