Tanya Plibersek to plow on for buybacks despite state blowback

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is considering overriding state and territory governments in a bid to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water to the Murray-Darling Basin.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Beach

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is considering overriding state governments in a bid to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water to the Murray-Darling Basin after NSW ruled out water buybacks as a method of recovery.

NSW Premier Chris Minns this week told state parliament his government did not support buybacks and he would not rubber-stamp any moves that would negatively impact regional communities.

“I make it clear that the government does not want and does not support proposals that will have a negative impact on NSW regional communities and economies,” Mr Minns said.

“We have made that clear to the commonwealth as well. We do not want buybacks used for water recovery.”

Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing has also ruled out buybacks and has pledged to meet all the state’s Murray-Darling Basin plan obligations “without causing socio-economic harm to communities”.

The two largest states’ opposition to buybacks is likely to cause a headache for Ms Plibersek amid ongoing negotiations to extend the plan’s July 2024 deadline.

The Weekend Australian understands she is prepared to overrule the states and launch federal intervention to recover 450GL water in order to deliver on Labor’s election commitment.

Ms Plibersek said she was working “co-operatively” with Basin ministers to seek agreement on a new phase to extend the plan.

“After a decade of sabotage by the previous Coalition government, we’re determined to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full,” Ms Plibersek said.

“I’ve said that from day one and I won’t budge.”

Richard Beasley SC, a senior councillor who worked on the Murray-Darling Basin royal commission, said the commonwealth could step in and buy water once it passed legislation to amend the plan.

“The commonwealth could do that because the Basin plan is a statutory instrument of the federal parliament and the Water Act is a commonwealth act,” he said.

“The preference would be to do it through agreement but if not, it could do it anyway.”

Ms Plibersek has been locked in active negotiations with the Greens this parliamentary sitting week in a bid to secure critical ­support in the upper house.

Labor will bring forward ­legislation to extend the Murray-Darling Basin Plan before the end of the year in order to prevent it from being in breach of the Water Act.

With Ms Plibersek and Labor needing support from the Greens plus two crossbenchers to get the ­legislation passed, the Greens environment spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, urged the government to restart buybacks and guarantee the delivery of the 450GL.

The Greens are demanding Labor remove a moratorium on water buybacks, which were capped under the Coalition, and formally legislate the 450GL commitment.

“The Greens want buybacks used to secure and guarantee SA’s 450GL and the water needs to start flowing before the next election,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

Opposition water spokeswoman Perin Davey accused Ms Plibersek of cutting the opposition out of negotiations after the Nationals MP was unsuccessful in attempts to schedule meetings.

The Nationals are willing to work with the government to ­extend the plan’s deadline but vehemently oppose water buybacks.

“The key to successful delivery of the Basin Plan is the agreement of the states,” Senator Davey said.

“Victoria has been strident in their opposition to buybacks and I was pleased to hear the new Premier of NSW reiterate NSW opposition to buybacks.”