Murray River Group of Councils media release - Councils call for fairer implementation of the Basin Plan
Published on 09 September 2019
The Murray Darling Basin Plan is not delivering fair outcomes and Victorian communities have lost patience.
The Murray River Group continues to support the Basin Plan but is calling for fairer implementation to address issues in the northern basin and at the end of the system to spread the burden.
Northern Victorian irrigation communities are suffering from the impact of providing around 800GL of water for the environment under the Basin Plan and many now question whether it has been worth the pain.
Cr Lorraine Learmonth, Chair of the Murray River Group spoke of the frustration in irrigation communities: “We all want a healthy and resilient environment in the Basin, supporting thriving productive communities” said Cr Learmonth, “and we have been told that the Basin Plan will provide that”.
“Well, frankly, tell that to the dozens of dairy farmers who have been forced to sell up this year. They’ll point to the Northern Basin where there is allocation despite the drought and to the lower lakes that are still freshwater and they’ll ask: Is this the same Basin Plan? How is this fair?
Victorian irrigators have done everything the Plan has asked of them. They are more efficient than ever, they have water trading, they are highly regulated, metered and monitored and they have given up productive water on some of the best soils in the Basin.
“Our communities understand that this is for the long term benefit of the environment but we look at the wreck of the Darling River and the huge impact on those communities to deliver water that just ends up evaporating or flowing out to sea; well you can understand why people are angry”.
“The Murray River Group has consistently supported the Basin Plan. For now, we continue to support it because we think that it is still our best chance of achieving a sustainable Basin but it must be implemented in a fairer and more balanced way” said Cr Learmonth.
“That means fixing the mess in the northern Basin so that life flows back into the Darling. Floodplain harvesting has to be brought under control and the over-extraction issues have to be addressed.
It is clear now that the Barwon-Darling water sharing rules changed just prior to the Basin Plan in 2012, have reduced the resilience of the Lower Darling and need to be changed.
“It also means having a new look at what longer term environmental outcomes can be achieved for the lower lakes and the Coorong and what the best way of achieving that is.
“What price is too high to keep the lower lakes as fresh water and the Murray Mouth open? Is it OK to destroy dairy in the GMID? What about horticulture? What about our RAMSAR wetlands at Gunbower and Barmah? Should we sacrifice them by pushing water down the Murray in summer that mostly just evaporates off Lake Alexandrina? How is that fair?” said Cr Learmonth.
The Basin Plan remains the best hope for a long term solution to the sustainability of our environment and our communities across the Basin but it must be implemented in a fair and balanced way and we are running out of time to get that balance right.
We call on Minister Littleproud and the Ministerial Council to show strong leadership to fix the implementation of the Basin Plan before it is too late. Fix the northern Basin to restore the lower Darling and revisit what can realistically be achieved at the end of the system with the water we have.
The Murray River Group of Councils comprises six councils in northern Victoria, Mildura and Swan Hill Rural City Councils and Loddon, Gannawarra, Campaspe and Moira Shires.