WESA report shows 450GL River Murray target not possible under current plan

Tanya Plibersek says the government is now in talks with the states about pumping up efforts to meet a promise to SA after it revealed a damning hidden report.

Tanya Plibersek has launched talks with her state counterparts about lifting the cap on controversial water buybacks, as a damning report reveals returning an extra 450GL to the River Murray by 2024 is impossible under current policies.

On Tuesday, the Environment and Water Minister released the latest review of the river’s environmental water progress that showed hitting the target promised to SA would cost taxpayers up to $10.8bn without time constraints.

The report, which the Coalition kept under wraps since December, also revealed $1.775bn set aside to recover the water remained largely unspent – a revelation Ms Plibersek used to accuse the Coalition of “deliberate sabotage” against the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Ms Plibersek said using voluntary buybacks – purchasing water entitlements from farmers and irrigators – remained an option to give the river its due on time.

“We are certainly considering that and it’s one of the things that I’m in discussion with state and territory ministers about at the moment,” she said.

Tanya Plibersek said buybacks are definitely on the table. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

She promised to listen to possible concerns about buybacks killing communities – worries she said were only held by “certain members of the National Party”.

“I spoke to farmers and irrigators right along the southern basin who were all supportive of (environmental flows), because they’ve seen the benefit in their real lives,” Ms Plibersek said.

“I will be the first person to take into account the impacts on farmers themselves and on regional communities as a whole.”

The second and final review of Water for the Environment Special Account found at June 30 last year, just 2.6GL had been delivered towards the 450GL goal and it was impossible to hit the target by the June 2024 deadline under current off-farm efficiency measures.

“It’s actually worse than inaction,” Ms Plibersek said of the previous government.

“It is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and they have been dishonest about that the whole way through.”

Opposition water spokeswoman Perin Davey said the 450GL was “over and above” the sustainable recovery targets.

Nationals Senator Perin Davey. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gary Ramage

“What is disappointing is the failure of the report to assess the social and economic impacts of this extra water recovery, regardless of the upfront costs,” Senator Davey said.

“This report is only looking at one part of one chapter of the Basin Plan while I am focused on the Basin Plan in its entirety, and as part of more than two decades of water reform that has recovered over 4,000GL for the environment.”

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said “water buybacks must be reinstated immediately”.

“Putting up the white flag is surrendering to big corporate irrigators,” she said.

The report estimated a maximum of 60GL could be returned by June 2024 under current settings. While only 2.6GL has been registered, a further 23.9GL has been contracted.

As a condition for joining the Murray-Darling Basin Plan 10 years ago, SA was promised 450GL of freshwater would be returned across the basin for environmental purposes. It is on top of the primary 2075GL environmental target, which has largely been met.

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