The Federal Government announced this week that the Government will deliver an additional 450GL of water to achieve greater environmental outcomes to the Basin through water recovery projects that minimise the impact on communities. The Government said the additional environmental water will benefit major wetlands across the Basin and the lower lakes in South Australia and help ensure the system never again goes into a period of drought lacking the resilience it needs to survive. (Minister Burke)
Responses to the Government announcement on the Basin Plan (via the Australian Water Association):
• The Victorian Government said they are bitterly disappointed the Commonwealth Government is not pursuing the 2,750GL Plan, with offsets, that was agreed to by Basin State Ministers and the Commonwealth in July this year. (Victorian Government)
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary, Simon Birmingham, has said the Government's reported new approach to recovering water for the Murray-Darling should be cautiously welcomed. (Liberal Party)
• Independent MP, Tony Windsor, has said the fine detail of the Murray Darling Basin Plan will need close scrutiny in determining the impacts of the PM's latest announcement. (Tony Windsor)
• Shadow Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said that it is an ambit announcement for an ambit claim from an ambit Government. (Senator Joyce)
• Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, said the Basin Plan still starts at 2750GL and won't keep the Basin healthy. (Senator Hanson-Young)
• The Irrigators' Council sceptically welcomed the announcement of additional funding for infrastructure. (Irrigator’s Council)
• The ACF welcomed funding for more environmental water but urged the Government to bring forward the timelines for returning water. (Australian Conservation Foundation)
• The NFF called on the Government to rule out any future water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin. (National Farmers Federation)
• Hawker Britton issued an updated briefing on the Basin Plan. (Hawker Britton)
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