Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), Media Release, 16 February 2026
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says farmers have been largely forgotten about in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) 2026 Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper, with little to no mention of the massive economic contribution and the thousands of jobs the agriculture sector sustains in the region.
VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said the lack of acknowledgment demonstrates a clear failure to strike an appropriate balance between environmental priorities and the needs of the people and industries that manage the Basin and sustain regional communities.
“Farmers are not just water users, they are land managers, employers and the backbone of Basin communities.”
“It is unacceptable that food security, manufacturing and employment are effectively absent from a document that will shape the future of the Basin for decades.”
“Agriculture employs thousands of people in the Basin and is a massive contributor to the economy. It’s time that was acknowledged and this huge contribution was recognised,” Mr Leahy said.
VFF analysis of the MDBA’s Discussion Paper found an enormous imbalance in the individual mentions of the below terms:
- Environment: 434 mentions
- First Nations: 152 mentions
- Community: 34 mentions
- Agriculture: 11 mentions
- Food: 7 mentions
- Landholder: 5 mentions
- Farmer: 3 mentions
- Employment: 1 mention
- Food security: 0 mentions
- Manufacturing: 0 mentions
“We’re meeting with the MDBA in the coming days where we will be outlining the sizeable contribution agriculture and our regional communities make to not only the local regions, but Australia-wide,” Mr Leahy said.
The VFF will continue to work closely with members and Basin communities to develop a formal submission that outlines a better, more balanced way forward, one that protects the environment while also safeguarding farming livelihoods, regional jobs and Australia’s food-producing future.
