Senate Passes Murray-Darling Basin Legislation, Farmers Say It’s a ‘Kick in the Guts’

Minister for Environment Tanya Plibersek and government members and senators at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Nov. 30, 2023. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

The Senate has passed legislation that will see the controversial Murray-Darling Basin Plan moved forward to 2027, when Federal Labor expects the legislated 450 gigalitres of water to be allocated back to the environment.

Among a swathe of amendments to the current legislation, the “Restoring Our Rivers Bill”—a joint Labor and Greens initiative—will give the government more powers, including water buybacks, to recover water back to the basin.

It will also give the Commonwealth power to withdraw state government infrastructure projects that are deemed unviable. Further, the bill will boost funding for the Aboriginal Water Entitlement Program, and involve Indigenous communities in environmental watering decisions.

An additional clause will ensure the responsible minister considers the “social and economic impact of the program on communities in the Murray-Darling Basin” in deciding on water buybacks.

The bill could also see more than 700 gigalitres of water that is used by farmers across the Murray-Darling Basin—an area considered to be “Australia’s Food Bowl”—allocated to the environment through the Commonwealth’s water buybacks.

“I’m very pleased that today our Restoring Our Rivers Bill has passed through the Senate,” Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Nov. 30.

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“It gives more time, more money, more options, and more accountability to make sure that this vital environmental legislation actually achieves what we set out to do.

“We know that more than three million Australians rely on the Murray-Darling Basin system for their drinking water—agriculture, industry, towns, communities all rely on this vital river system—and of course, our precious environment relies on seeing enough water in our rivers, particularly as the dry times approach once again.”

Ms. Plibersek confirmed that the government would start looking at voluntary water buybacks next year.

Water buybacks have been a controversial issue since the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was legislated in 2012, with Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), the federal opposition, the National Farmers Federation, and the National Irrigators Council against the move.

Under the scheme, the federal government buys water rights from irrigators using the Murray-Darling Basin for environmental reasons.

The Victorian government is the only basin state that has not signed up to the new plan due to concerns that water buybacks will have negative socio-economic impacts on the state’s agriculture sector.

“What’s on offer to the Victorian Government is hundreds of millions of dollars of support,” Ms. Plibersek said. “And if they don’t sign up, we’re likely to see more water recovery through voluntary water purchase, not less in Victoria. Their position just doesn’t make sense.”

However, National Farmers Federation President David Jochinke said the new bill had effectively removed the socio-economic impact tests for water buybacks.

“The Government has said buybacks must provide value for the taxpayer and benefit the environment,” Mr. Jochinke said.

“These communities are still recovering from over 2,100 gigalitres of buybacks a decade ago. Now another 700 gigalitres is the kick in the guts that’s going to hurt so many people.

“Sadly, the Government continues to demonstrate how out of touch it is with rural and regional communities and has let down every single one of those people and the thousands of others who call those communities home.”

Thousands Rally Against Water Buybacks

In the past two weeks, thousands of farmers and producers have come out against the new bill, warning their communities will be severely impacted as a result of water buybacks.

On Nov. 21, local agriculture workers in Leeton, Griffith, and Deniliquin demanded the government look at other options to improve river health without destroying jobs and communities.

Griffith Mayor Doug Curran told 2GB radio that decreased food production from water buybacks could force people out of a job.

The mayor added that the cost of groceries will likely increase if Australia starts relying on imported groceries.

Jan Beer, a representative from the Upper Murray River Catchment Association in Victoria, previously told The Epoch Times that water buybacks will impact farmers’ ability to produce and export food.

“If they buy back that water or they take that further water out of the consumptive pool, then food production and food security will be greatly affected because the irrigators get the very last of what’s left in the consumptive bucket of water,” Ms. Beer said.

New Labor-Greens Bill ‘Step in the Wrong Direction’: Liberal MP

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Tony Pasin has criticised the new bill, saying it is a “step in the wrong direction” for Australian farmers and consumers.

“Any suggestion coming out of this place that these communities will be fine, we will compensate them—we are talking about tens, if not close to a hundred thousand hectares of horticulture production being effectively shelved,” Mr. Pasin said on Nov. 30.

“Walking away from an Australian fruit, vegetable, nut, and fibre production … is a step in the wrong direction.”

However, Celine Steinfeld, from the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, said water buybacks remain one of the best tools to ensure a healthy river system.

“The measures give greater guarantees that the health of the river and the river flows will improve,” Mr. Steinfield said.

The Restoring Our Rivers Bill is expected to pass in the House of Representatives.