Labor silent on its Murray Darling Basin plans: No answer on water buyouts
Despite years on the Opposition benches, Federal Labor has failed to answer key questions on Murray Darling Basin water recovery.
As the Federal Election looms the Labor Party has failed to answer key questions on the recovery of water towards the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
After years in Opposition, all Labor’s water spokesman Terri Butler could tell The Weekly Times was that her party “expects all stakeholders will show good will, and the willingness to work together, to deliver on the plan”.
She then attacked the Federal Coalition Government stating: “It is crucial that the government explain to Australians how they intend that the Plan’s targets will be met, and what will happen if they are not.”
But when asked what an Albanese Labor Government would do to deliver the plan Ms Butler offered little or no response to the following questions.
Q: As it stands the Federal Coalition Government has placed a 1500GL cap on purchases of water entitlement out of irrigation communities. Will an Albanese Labor Government maintain or remove this cap?
Ms Butler: NO ANSWER
Q: Part of the plan that the former Labor Federal Government struck was to deliver an additional 450GL of “up water”, over and above the original 2750GL target. How will Labor recover this 450GL?
Ms Butler: NO ANSWER
Q: South Australian irrigators have raised concerns that some Federal SA Labor MPs have been raising the possibility of compulsorily acquiring 5 per cent of all irrigators’ entitlement, at or just above market price, to recover the 450GL. Is Federal Labor considering such a move?
Ms Butler: “Labor does not have a policy of compulsory acquisition of entitlements”.
Q: The Vertessy report into the Darling River, plus another by the Australian Academy of Science (commissioned by Federal Labor), make it clear an environmental reserve of about 400GL must be maintained in the Menindee Lakes to protect the environment during droughts. This means recovering any significant water savings from reconfiguring the Menindee Lakes is virtually impossible. Does Labor intend to pursue the Menindee reconfiguration project if it wins government?
Ms Butler: NO ANSWER
National Irrigators Council chairman Jeremy Morton said irrigators wanted firm commitments that there would be “no more water recovered from food and fibre producers – full stop.
“Irrigators want certainty, not more buyouts.”
He said the NIC backed the 1500GL cap on buyouts and restrictions to ensure the recovery of the 450GL occurred through off-farm.
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