National Party MPs set to clash over Murray-Darling water use

Victorian and federal MPs are set to clash over the Murray-Darling Basin plan at the National Party’s federal conference as dairy and fruit producers plead for help with drought and soaring water prices.

Drought and soaring water prices across the Murray Valley have set the scene for a showdown between Victorian and federal Nationals MPs over water allocations.

Dairy and fruit producers are pleading for help, as they are crippled by a combination of reduced allocations due to environmental targets and temporary water prices hitting $800 a megalitre.

The Murray-Darling Basin plan will create a flashpoint ­between MPs at the National Party’s federal conference, with calls likely to be made for the federal government to ­borrow water from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder to help struggling food producers.

Growers are speaking out about their pain in northern Victoria, where industries such as dairy, beef and horticulture are under massive stress.

John Keely, vice-president of United Dairy Farmers, said dozens of business had shut down because they could not afford water for feed.

“It could potentially have a disastrous impact up here in the north,” he said.

“There are flow-on effects for other businesses in town, and people would have to move away for jobs. We need to release some environmental water for farmers.”

Vice-president of United Dairy Farmers John Keely says dozens of business have had to shut down because they could not afford water for feed. Picture: Andy Rogers

The Victorian Nationals are preparing to go into bat for local farmers when they meet with federal counterparts this weekend in Canberra.

Coalition water spokeswoman in Victoria, Steph Ryan, said that the issue was complex but that “urgent ­action is needed to save the livelihoods of farmers in northern Victoria”.

“We will be using federal council to fight for the interests of our communities who are suffering deeply from a lack of water,” she said.

This week the Liberal Democrats called for Victoria to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin plan, with Northern Victoria MP Tim Quilty saying “crops are failing and inland dairy farming in the region is on its last legs”.

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But major parties say kneejerk moves could cause more problems than they would solve for irrigators.

For example, if a new plan was to be negotiated it could see higher environmental ­targets that would result in lower water allocations to ­locals in some valley areas.

Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville has recently ­argued that while the state was on track to deliver obligations under the basin plan, some changes to the national ­approach were needed.

This included compliance issues in the northern Basin and more transparency in the water market.

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