Murray Darling Basin Plan: Goulburn Murray water leader David McKenzie calls to legislate no more buybacks
A member of the Federal Government’s own socio-economic panel has criticised the latest round of basin plan reforms, warning the next dry will bite “harder and faster” if buybacks aren’t legislated out.
MURRAY Darling Basin communities will again find themselves “close to the cliff” when the next dry hits if the Federal Government fails to legislate against more water buybacks.
That’s the warning from a member of the Government’s own socio-economic panel, David McKenzie, in scathing comments of the Government’s handling of its Murray Darling Basin Plan reforms.
“There is a real lack of urgency from the people with their hands on the levers of power,” Mr McKenzie told The Weekly Times.
“We’ve had a nice winter so no one is freaking out, but as soon as it gets dry again, these things are going to come back harder and faster … and they could have avoided all this if they (the Government) started making meaningful changes.”
Mr McKenzie – who is on the board of Goulburn Murray Water and co-convener of the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District water leadership forum – was one of seven people appointed to independently review the basin plan’s socio-economic impacts.
The panel’s report was handed to Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt in April but was not released until September, when Mr Pitt promised a raft of reforms to the MDB’s management based on the recommendations of the panel and other reports.
While Mr Pitt committed there would be no further buybacks under the current government, he did not agree to legislate against them, which Mr McKenzie says keeps the threat alive for already anxious communities.
The Government also rejected the panel’s call to extend the basin plan’s water recovery deadlines, to ensure as much as possible can be recovered from off-farm offset projects – many of which are running behind schedule.
Mr Pitt has also promised on-farm projects would not be part of future water recovery; however, the Government was still advertising new on-farm infrastructure projects in South Australia.
Mr Pitt did not respond to specific questions from The Weekly Times, including whether the Government would legislate against further buybacks.
Instead, Mr Pitt said the Government had committed a $270 million package to “put Murray-Darling Basin communities at the heart” of reforms to the basin plan, arising from numerous reports.
“The package includes responses to recommendations from those reports and direct feedback from local communities,” he said in a statement.
“Our focus is shifting to water recovery from off-farm projects to achieve basin plan targets without having an impact on irrigators’ licences.”
Mr McKenzie said he was compelled to speak out, disheartened on behalf of the basin communities who spoke with the panel.
“They turn up and reveal all their hard work, stress and emotional trauma again and again, and there’s still no meaningful change,” he said.
The Murray Darling Basin ministerial council is expected to meet again next week.
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