THE New South Wales and Victorian governments are in opposition on potential changes to state water sharing agreements following a review by Murray-Darling Basin interim inspector-general Mick Keelty.
While NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and water minister Melinda Pavey have demanded changes to existing operations, rules and sharing arrangements of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP), the Victorian Government said it would not support any changes to water sharing arrangements that negatively impacted the state.
Both states have voiced their support for the investigation to be completed by March 31, 2020, examining the impact of the basin plan on water sharing agreements.
The review was announced this week after thousands of frustrated farmers rallied outside Parliament House in Canberra, calling for action to either fix or can the basin plan, but will require support from state water ministers if Mr Keelty is to be granted expanded powers to complete the investigation.
Earlier this week, Mr Barilaro spoke out against the plan, claiming his state “had no more water to give” and the federal government had nowhere left to turn and must respond to concerns and implement changes.
“We simply can no longer stand by the MDBP in its current form, the plan needs to work for us, not against us,” Mr Barilaro said.
He added it was “clear” communities in regional NSW have had enough, and said his government stood with them.
“NSW is being crippled by the worst drought on record and our future is at risk,” he said.
“The plan should be flexible, adaptive and needs to produce good environmental outcomes for this state.”
Mr Barilaro said, at a minimum, NSW would demand the state not contribute to the 450-gigalitre (GL) additional water recovery efforts, that barrages on the lower lakes be lifted to allow seawater back into Lake Alexandria, that transmission losses in the system are taken into account as water returned to the environment and that the federal government agree NSW water resource plans would not be progressed until the drought had broken.
“It is patently wrong to ask NSW to give up more water during the worst drought on record,” Mr Barilaro said.
“It not only fails the pub test but it defies any supposed benefit to the environment in NSW.”
Ms Pavey said further conditions would be raised at the upcoming water ministers’ meeting in Brisbane on December 17.
Across the border, concerns any alteration would put Victoria’s conservative allocation policy at risk.
Water minister Lisa Neville said despite dry conditions, some allocations had been made available to entitlement holders this season, adding Victorian communities should not be penalised for that.
Ms Neville said Victoria supported the establishment of the office of the inspector-general and associated powers to ensure compliance in the basin and the proper metering and administration of rules.
But, Ms Neville said the Labor Government would not support the inspector-general having powers to change water sharing rules affecting Victoria that pre-date the basin plan.
She added while the government acknowledged parts of the basin were facing severe drought, changing water sharing rules risked unfairly shifting water from Victorian irrigators to other states.
Ms Neville said economic security, certainty and planning for farmers and communities should not be undermined by constant rule changes.
The water minister said the inspector-general’s focus should instead be on floodplain harvesting, allocation, metering, monitoring of large-scale individual water use and licensing arrangements in the northern basin.
“I support ensuring the best use of all available water, but I won’t stand by and let water sharing rules be changed to the detriment of Victorian communities,” Ms Neville said.
“While we agree the basin plan needs to be adaptive — these water sharing rules pre-date the plan and are the basis for states making the best decisions possible for allocations to their farmers.”
