No retreat, for now, on Murray-Darling goals

East coast water ministers have agreed, for now, to keep working towards a June 2024 deadline to deliver on their commitments under the $13bn Murray Darling Basin Plan.

State water ministers want an extension to the deadline to meet the Murray-Darling Basin Plan water savings targets.

East coast water ministers have agreed, for now, to keep working towards a June 2024 deadline to deliver on their commitments under the $13bn Murray-Darling Basin Plan despite calling for an extension.

NSW, Victoria and Queensland have separately called for an additional two years to deliver the promised water savings, but federal Water and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been firm in her insistence that they stick to the deadline.

At a meeting of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council on Friday Ms Plibersek also reiterated the Albanese government’s new policy to meet targets by reintroducing water buybacks.

“Today ministers reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full,” Ms Plibersek said. “The federal Labor government is doing our part to get the plan back on track. We are funding infrastructure projects, buying water, ­accrediting water resource plans, cracking down on cowboys in the water market, investing in updated science, and working with First Nations.

“There’s no more time for ­delays and excuses.”

The plan was formulated in 2012 to return 2750 gigalitres of water to the river system. About 2100GL of a revised 2680GL target has been recovered.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has previously warned the plan would not be completed on time because projects the states have proposed to make water use more efficient are ­behind schedule.

A communique issued on ­behalf of the ministerial council said it had asked officials to show how the basin plan could still be delivered in full by June next year.

“(Ministers) acknowledged that unprecedented droughts, ­severe floods and the global pandemic have compounded delays in delivering basin plan projects,” the communique says.

“While a number of matters remain unresolved, ministers tasked officials to develop a package, including accountability measures and work programs, to deliver the basin plan in full.”

Ms Plibersek said delaying the outcome was not an option.

“My hope is that over the coming weeks and months, with a bit of co-operation, compromise and common sense, we can all agree on a way forward,” she said.

The disagreement over whether an extension would be granted, and Ms Plibersek’s insistence that controversial buybacks from farmers would be used to help meet the targets, drew condemnation from NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson.

“Ahead of today’s meeting, NSW was assured all options were on the table and buybacks would be a last resort. Today federal Labor offered no options apart from buying back water from communities,” he said.