The Nature Conservation Council (NCC) of New South Wales has blasted what it calls a “concerted misinformation campaign being spread by corporate irrigators about the proposal to purchase water for the environment.”

The move has disappointed communities in the southern connected system as they fight to protect their livelihoods, environment and communities.

Shane Bugge from Cobram has witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of citycentric buyback water mantra.

“It’s like they think the only environment that exists is publicly owned.

“Are private wetlands and the breeding and feeding grounds that sustain local and migratory ecosystems just cannon fodder for the latte environmental crowd?

“Yes, there are areas in the basin that require significant work, but this ‘Just buyback water’ is completely illogical.

“If you are trying to save fish on the Darling, then you need additional flows on the Darling.

“It’s clear the government’s ambition of provoking irrigators vs the environment has been a complete success, the winners are corporate greed, water traders and the illogical green agenda. The loser is our connected lands and waterways and the custodians who live, work and love the land.”

NCC Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Mumford said they keep hearing fairytale stories about dams and engineering solutions and just want the water bought back.   

“We are calling for assurances from the NSW Government that they will fulfil their election promise by supporting the only viable way to deliver on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which is to purchase water from the many willing sellers across NSW.

“Any further delay to water purchases only benefits water barons and large corporate irrigators, who profit from being allowed to continue to suck up water earmarked for the environment.”

With no environmental impact studies to date on government water purchases, the decimation of family farms and economies, and the destruction of the Murray and Edwards rivers under a plan to save them, little wonder communities feel frustrated and angry.   

Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek recently flagged the potential of delays in delivering the plan.

Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Perin Davey, said news the Labor Government is considering extending Basin Plan deadlines is welcome.

“Minister Plibersek knew these deadlines would not be met,” Senator Davey said.

“I told her in my first letter to her when I was appointed Shadow Minister, I told her at a face-to-face meeting in August last year, the MDBA CEO told the National Press Club last year and the NSW and Victorian governments had told her from the first Ministerial Council.

“More recently, through the Minister’s own consultation on how to finalise the Basin Plan, there have been many ideas submitted, but none that can be delivered within 12 months, so it is necessary to extend the deadlines.

“Ideally, I would have liked the deadlines to have been extended prior to the last election when the NSW and Victorian governments first asked, but we were dealing with a hostile Senate and Labor would not negotiate.

“Now the Minister has realised there are a magnitude of reasons why the Basin Plan is behind schedule, not all within Federal Government control, I hope she is more open to having constructive discussions about how to enable the Basin Plan to be finalised to deliver the environmental objectives.”

This article appeared in  The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 27 July 2023.