‘Too much water’: Greens’ Murray Darling Basin policy a concern to Riverina farmers

Riverina farmers worry the Greens’ bid to ensure 450GL of environmental water flows to SA from the Murray Darling Basin will lead to flooding on farms and damage on riverbanks in the region.

Wagga Wagga shearer Alan Brown believes the Greens’ bid to get the Albanese government to rewrite the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will lead to flooding on farms and damage on riverbanks along the Murrumbidgee and Murray deltas.

The Greens said this week they would be using their position in balance of power in the Senate to fight for the delivery of the 450 gigalitres of water promised to the South Australian end of the Murray Darling Basin.

The Greens are also calling for a Labor Water Minister from South Australia to be appointed in the new Cabinet, to help downstream communities manage their water flows from upstream and make sure the water is distributed evenly.

Mr Brown, also District Branch Chair of the NSW Farmers Association, said he was supportive of the idea of environmental water flows to replenish the South Australian end, but felt allowing this amount of water to flow downstream would cause environmental damage to farms.

 “I am supportive of environmental flows but the question is when is there enough water around and if an environmental flow happens and coincides with a rain event it will cause an unnecessary flood on farmland,” he said.

Murray Darling Basin.

Riverina MP, Nationals’ Michael McCormack believes the Greens policy has “environmental disaster” written all over it.

“It’s almost physically impossible to do it without creating an environmental disaster in itself with overbank flooding,” he said. “This would create man-made floods for no environmental outcome.”

Mr McCormack believes river communities along the basin deserve better and thinks the Greens policy is unachievable for country towns.

“River communities deserve better and what they are talking about is unachievable without creating social and economic catastrophes for some of our best country towns,” Mr McCormack said.

“River communities deserve better and what they are talking about is unachievable without creating social and economic catastrophes for some of our best country towns,” Michael McCormack said. Picture: Supplied

South Australia Greens Senator and Spokeswoman for Environment and Water, Sarah Hanson-Young said in a statement: “The Greens will be using our position in the balance of power in the Senate to fight for the delivery of the 450GL water promised to South Australia.

“With senator-elect Barbara Pocock about to join me in the senate, SA will have strong Greens women fighting for our Murray.

“A South Australian Water Minister will be our best chance of ensuring the best interests of the Murray are represented, not those of upstream corporate irrigators.”

South Australia Greens Senator and spokeswoman for Environment and Water, Sarah Hanson-Young. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

President of the Ricegrowers Association of Australia, Rob Massina, said he was also disappointed by the Greens policy, pointing out it would have a major impact on the rice industry in the Riverina.

“If the water was sent downstream, it would basically kill the rice industry in the Riverina,” he said.

He said it could see 700 jobs lost if the water was sent downstream and halt production on an industry which has the capacity to produce 1 million tonnes of rice per year for Australia.

“It is important we have a plan that will suit everyone because from an industry perspective, these conceived outcomes do not achieve much under the current basin plan and a lot has changed from 10 years ago from the last discussions about this issue,” he said.

Mr Massina wants to wait for the new federal Water Minister and Labor government to outline their policies before taking further action.

 “At the end of the day, we must wait for a new federal water minister to outline his or her policies about this issue,” he said.

President of the Ricegrowers Association of Australia, Rob Massina, said the Greens policy would have a major impact on the rice industry in the Riverina. Picture: Supplied