Local expressions of interest open for water buyback program”¦

Senior Riverland politicians have urged local irrigators to avoid signing up for the Federal Government’s latest expression of interest for water buybacks.

The Federal Government last week opened the Restoring Our Rivers 2024: Expression of Interest 2 (Large Portfolios of Water Southern Connected Basin), allowing for water buybacks from Riverland communities.

Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said buybacks would have negative impacts on the water market.

“Any of the government’s water buyback programs always impact on the water market,” Mr Whetstone said.

“It really is a blunt instrument”¦ if they were a government that truly understood, and truly cared, they would be putting all the options on the table.

“But they just want to hit us over the head with a buyback hammer.”

Mr Whetstone said ensuring water resources stayed available for primary production should be a priority.

“I would urge (everyone) to look at this with caution, the government is fixated on a number, not an outcome,” he said.

“They are fixated on a number that doesn’t address what we all need.

“My first option would be to offer that water to your neighbour, your fellow irrigator and explore every option that would retain that water in our local economy.

“The cost of supplying water still needs to be met by fewer irrigators, which will drive the delivery price of water up.”

Barker MP Tony Pasin said further examination of the potential effects of buybacks was needed.

“This is now the third call for tenders in the Southern Basin in 18 months and we are yet to see a report on the impacts of the first round of tenders,” Mr Pasin said.

“The Minister can’t have done any real evaluation of the impacts of the previous tenders in this timeframe which is greatly concerning.

“The (Federal) Government is hell bent on purchasing water while no progress has been made on managing constraints or complementary measures. It’s clear now that Labor has no intention of working with communities in managing this process.

“The strategy clearly is water recovery at any cost. I suppose that’s easy when you live in Sydney and you’ll never be asked to pay the real cost of stripping irrigation communities of their water. Meanwhile, Riverland growers hoping to sell their water to the government won’t see any cash flowing from the sale to alleviate financial struggles until mid-next year.”

Riverland-based MLC, and opposition spokesperson for regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti said local irrigators struggling through industry challenges would be targeted for buybacks.

“This expression of interest is of real concern for South Australia as the Labor Federal Government has clearly stated that there is no fixed volume to be recovered from each state, each catchment or each water right type,” Dr Centofanti said.

“This is an obvious ploy to take advantage of desperate sellers at the most vulnerable time.

“Whether it’s the lack of support, the increase in red and green tape or the blatant disregard for community socio-economic needs around buybacks, it is obvious there is a clear unacceptable disconnect.”

Meanwhile, a State Government spokesperson said “the South Australian Government supports the full delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, including the delivery of the final 450GL”.

“Whilst the continued use of productivity boosting on and off-farm efficiency measures to recover the final 450GL is supported, the South Australian Government also supports a Commonwealth water purchase program to recover some of the 450 GL – complemented by a well-planned structural adjustment program to ensure that the broader community is supported where there are demonstrated adverse impacts on communities,” the spokesperson said.  

This article appeared in the  Murray Pioneer,  9 October 2024.