South Australian irrigators to lose more water under basin plan
South Australian state and federal politicians may be demanding more water, but it comes at a high cost to the state’s irrigators.
South Australian irrigators face losing almost 17 per cent of their water entitlements to deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan “in full”, as their state and federal Labor leaders have promised.
The Basin states’ most senior water bureaucrats have already warned their ministers the basin plan will fall 340GL short of its June 30, 2024 baseline target, let alone meet SA political demands for another 450GL of “upwater” enshrined in the plan.
Briefing papers prepared for the Basin Officials Committee in July warn the South Australian Government and its water users, like those in Victoria and NSW, will have to contribute to any shortfall.
“The MDBA will use the apportionment applied in 2017 to share the supply contribution across southern Basin water resource units as follows - NSW 47.4 per cent, Victoria 44 per cent, South Australia 8.6 per cent, unless Basin governments agree alternative apportionment arrangements under s7.18(b),” the BOC papers state.
SA’s contribution would be 29.24GL towards the 340GL shortfall, plus another 38.7GL towards the 450GL upwater target.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek have refused to rule out wading into the water market to recover the additional 450GL, which irrigators warn would undermine the economic foundations of their communities.
Given SA irrigators total entitlement pool is 408GL, the state’s combined share of the shortfall and upwater target would be 68GL, equal to 16.6 per cent of the state’s irrigation entitlement.
The impact upstream of the SA border would be far more severe, with Victorian irrigators losing 347.6GL and those in Southern NSW losing 374.5GL.
During the March SA election campaign the Labor Party’s state and Federal MPs promised to deliver the basin plan “in full”.
Labor’s Susan Close, who is now SA’s Water Minister, promised “we will also work with Federal Labor to ensure that the 450 gigalitres promised to South Australia, but not delivered, is finally flowing down the river”.
But South Australian Murray Irrigators chair Caren Martin said stripping 68GL out of the state “will frighten the life” out of irrigators.
“I don’t think anyone wants to have productive water leaving their community,” Ms Martin said.
SAMI Renmark irrigator David Ludas said the slump in winegrape prices meant growers “of a certain age are saying they’ve had enough” and would be willing to sell water to the federal government at the “right price”.
But he said less water in the district would drive up infrastructure and pumping costs, as well as allocation market pricing.
“The more water taken out of Renmark means there’s less opportunity for successful irrigation,” Mr Ludas said.