Murray MP Waiting on Outcome of Rural Water Inquiries
The Legislative Assembly Committee on investment, Industry and Regional Development will hold a series of public inquiries in Griffith, Deniliquin and Moama looking at the impacts of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 on NSW rural and regional communities this month.
A report released by Frontier Economic in August 2022 projected the following outcomes as a result of water recovery through buybacks, whether that be under ‘bridging the gap’ and/or the 450GL.
A reduction in water use in NSW by 197GL per year.
An estimated loss of 95,000 ha of irrigated production in the Southern Basin.
It estimates an annual gross value irrigated production loss of in excess of $500 million from the Southern Basin.
Independent Member for Murray Helen Dalton said: “The federal government is gutting Southern Basin irrigation communities with its wrecking ball approach to meeting environmental water volumes that South Australia dictates.”
“Using buybacks to secure those water deliveries to S.A. is not a long term solution to fixing the Coorong, Lower Fake Lakes or the Murray mouth,” Mrs. Dalton added.
As of 2021 4623GL of water has been recovered for the environment by state and commonwealth governments.
Under the Basin Plan 2750GL, a recovery target of 2289GL was set to source entitlements from the Southern Basin to meet a three-year rolling average target of 2000GL to be delivered to the CLLMM.
Of the water recovered under the Basin Plan, approximately 83% has come from the Southern Basin – with southern NSW contributing a significant proportion of this.
Mrs Dalton said: “Before any further water is recovered through buybacks for the environment, the government needs to figure out how exactly they plan on delivering it.”
“I’ll be very interested in how the Committee responds to the numerous opinions and experiences of the many stakeholders who have made their written submissions and will be attending these sessions.”
“I also hope the State government takes the information on board, look to the many alternatives I have provided, and finally puts a stop to buybacks.” Mrs. Dalton added.
Sessions will be held at the Griffith South side Leagues Club starting at 11.30am on Tuesday the 10th of June, Deniliquin Town Hall starting at 11.30am on Wednesday the 11th of June.