Under the legislation being introduced on Thursday, October 15, Labor would be barred from buying any more permanent Murray-Darling Basin water entitlements that would grow the Commonwealth’s share of the Murray-Darling.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan said the bill would not only halt further water buybacks, but also protect the water that was available for farming, towns, jobs and productive use.
“We need to end water buybacks for the sake of saving our regional communities, after Labor started the buybacks and added an additional 450 GL,” Senator Canavan said.
“This issue is crucial, which is why we are introducing the legislation today.
“We are deeply concerned about Labor’s additional 450 GL and the impact it will have on regional communities. The bill will leave temporary water allocation trading unaffected, but importantly, ensure farmers and irrigators aren’t penalised.
“We need to grow Australian farming again. And we will do that by ending the water buybacks to deliver more water to the farmers who need it, and by building dams and investing in water infrastructure like we did when we were last in office.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said regional communities and farmers bore the brunt of water buybacks.
“Irrigators in my electorate depend on reliable and affordable water access, but the shrinking consumptive pool is making farming increasingly difficult,” he said.
“In a regulated system, more water cannot simply be created. We need to stop removing it from agricultural production because the economic activity that it creates reaches every corner of regional communities.”
Senator Canavan said he was also pleased to announce that the Coalition was also introducing a Taskforce on Water, to get more water flowing to the bush. Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack will lead the new Coalition Water Taskforce as chair.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture Sam Birrell, Member for Barker Tony Pasin, Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson, Senator for Tasmania Richard Colbeck and Member for Flynn Colin Boyce will serve on the taskforce.
“The Coalition Taskforce on Water would travel to the frontiers of our nation to restore water and food security,” Senator Canavan said.
“In total, Labor has cut over $7 billion in dams and water supply funding. This government has no funding and no plan to increase water or food security.
“We are facing a serious food security crisis unless we can grow more food. While the value of agricultural production has doubled since 2000, the volume of produce grown has only risen 30 per cent.
At the same time Australia’s population has grown by 50 per cent.
“While Labor spends its time locking water away from farming communities, we will end Labor’s green ideology, outlaw future water buybacks, and restore the vision our grandparents had to actually build and grow our nation.
“That’s why I’ve asked Michael to lead what I like to call the raiders of Labor’s lost dams. He will lead a team that will travel to the frontiers of our nation and find the water storage projects Labor has shelved and make the case to build them.”
Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance campaign director Chris Gambian said the basin needed responsible leadership, not political stunts.
“As a former Canberra bureaucrat himself, Senator Canavan should know how important it is to get the balance right on complex public policy issues – particularly one as crucial as how Australia manages scarce water in the basin,” he said.
“The private members’ bill Senator Canavan will introduce to parliament today falls well short of that standard.”
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