AGRICULTURE and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud is on a mission over the next few weeks to restore lost confidence in the Murray Darling Basin Plan and avert a full-scale crisis.
After being signed into law in late 2012 by former Labor Water Minister Tony Burke, the Basin Plan faces its biggest existential challenge to deliver its core 2750 gigalitres environmental watering target which strips significant volumes out of farm production.
Federal parliament will resume when the budget is handed down on May 8 and on that same day another Green’s disallowance motion is set to be voted on in the Upper House, which could torpedo more critical water reforms
In mid-February, the Greens and Labor voted together to disallow a 70GLs adjustment to the Basin Plan that resulted from an extensive, scientific and stakeholder focussed legislated review of the Northern Basin’s water savings targets.
That amendment can be re-presented later in the year and Mr Littleproud is currently holding talks with central political players to gain their backing; including Mr Burke and the new South Australian Water and Environment Minister David Speirs and Liberal Premier Steven Marshall.
But his focus is also firmly on the Green’s latest plans on budget day - led by outspoken SA Senator Sarah Hanson-Young - to drown other amendments that aim to deliver a package of projects to reduce the Basin Plan’s Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs) by up to 650GLs.
State water ministers endorsed the move last year to lower the overall 2750GLs target by 605GLs through various means like water management rule changes or water infrastructure projects, without needing any more direct water recovery, but while achieving equal environmental outcomes.
Mr Littleproud said the Senate disallowed the Northern Basin’s water savings target being adjusted from 390GLs to 320GLs in February - in a move considered overtly political, leading up to the SA elections - but Labor did express genuine concerns about compliance issues in the Northern Basin which was now addressed.
He said NSW Water Minister Niall Blair had exhibited “exemplary” leadership by acknowledging water compliance and monitoring issues existed within his state and had since made “announcements” on improvements and was continuing that work.
“That’s something we should welcome in all states - nobody should fear compliance,” he said.
“If you’re doing the right thing then nothing’s going to happen but if you’re not doing the right thing, you’re going to get nailed.
“We’re starting to get some more confidence from NSW’s actions and Queensland has to continue on that journey, to ensure we provide more confidence, to the southern states.”
Mr Littleproud held talks with Mr Speirs and SA water officials last week in Canberra with more meetings this week in Adelaide, about the Basin Plan’s challenges.
Compared to the angst exhibited leading into the SA election and political antagonism towards the Basin Plan by the state’s former Water Minister Ian Hunter and Labor leader Jay Weatherill, Mr Littleproud said he was now “very relieved” the state’s new representatives were “prepared to sit down and talk”.
“I understand their parochialism but I made it clear to them that this was of national significance,” he said.
“We have a framework and we have a plan and the philosophy of it, everyone agrees to, but the mechanics of how we get there (is what’s disputed).
“But we shouldn’t blow up the philosophy of the pan for the mechanics of it because the mechanics can be worked out and I made that quite clear and they (SA officials) were quite receptive of that.”
Asked if he’d miss Mr Hunter who was particularly aggressive on Basin Plan matters, Mr Littleproud said “I’ve never entered into the personality politics of water – it’s not constructive in getting outcomes”.
“The two million Australians who live up and down the Murray Darling Basin want certainty and my job is to lead that,” he said.
“I’m reaching out across the aisle and to those on the crossbench, to come on that journey.
“We came within one vote of pulling off the Northern Basin review, if it wasn’t for (Victorian independent Senator) Derryn Hinch.
“The reality is he could have effectively solved this problem once and for all and given the type of leadership this nation is looking for.
“But we’ve got what we’ve got and I’m continuing to negotiate with Tony Burke and we’ll start negotiations and talks with the cross-bench.
“This is too important to let go and I intend to deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full, on time.”
Mr Littleproud said he can bring back the Northern Basin review amendment later in the year and was in ongoing talks with Mr Burke on that matter and the Green’s proposed disallowance on the 605 in SDLs.
The rookie cabinet minister described that amendment to the Basin Plan as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.
“We’re asking everybody, all states, to get on the journey to complete this plan,” he said.
“With the SDL there is no margin for error and we need it to go through.
“I’m hopeful that if we can come to some negotiated outcome with Labor, on the Northern Basin review, we can possibly bring it back before the end of the year - but those discussions are only at preliminary stages and I have to respect the process.
“And I have to respect the fact that Tony Burke has been honest and sincere in all his discussions with me - even up until five minutes before the Labor party and effectively Jay Weatherill canned it.
“He’s definitely been honest about some of the things needed, in terms of us getting this through, with a bipartisan approach and we’re working as collectively as we can.
“But we need to remember, this was Tony Burke’s plan, this was Labor’s plan and we’re trying to implement it lock stock and barrel.
“The reality is we’ve done what they’ve asked us to do, back in 2012.
“They believe in the philosophy of the plan - both sides of parliament believe in the philosophy of the plan - but it’s the mechanics of how we get there that we’ve got to work through.
“I think we’re making some big inroads into the mechanics around compliance that were particularly causing some angst, for Labor and the crossbench.”
Mr Littleproud said he never received a straight answer from Senator Hinch on why he backed the Green’s disallowance motion that stifled the Northern Basin review amendments earlier this year “and that’s the frustrating thing”.
“He wouldn’t give a straight answer to what his concerns primarily were and coming from a Victorian I found it bizarre that he couldn’t articulate those concerns,” he said.
“But we’ll continue working with Senator Hinch and I intend to try to catch up with him over this recess, to see if his mind has changed.
“And we need to work with the Nick Xenophon Team around what they’re doing to see if we can make some inroads because we’d prefer them to have them on the journey than not on it.”
Mr Littleproud said he didn’t need crossbench support if Labor backed the Northern Basin review amendments when re-presented later in the year, but he didn’t plan to ignore their critical votes.
“I still want to be respectful and try to bring everyone on the journey and that’s my job - to lead this through and bring everyone on the journey as best I can,” he said.
“I don’t intend to leave anybody out and will continue to have those discussions, in an open and transparent way.”
Of the May 8 vote on the Green’s move to disallow the 605GLs in SDL’s, Mr Littleproud said there was an ongoing challenge but that matter seemed to have more political support.
“It’s a very complicated plan and that’s the difficulty of it in terms of the cut through but I think there’s greater support for the SDL,” he said.
“The concerns around the Northern Basin review was with compliance but the states, especially NSW, have done some of the heavy lifting around compliance and Queensland still has some work to do but they’re all working towards it.”
The Murray Darling Basin Authority CEO Phil Glyde said his organisation stood by the Northern Basin review process, which was based on the best available science and evidence, peer-reviewed by independent experts, and involved an extensive and comprehensive consultation over four years.
https://www.mdba.gov.au/media/mr/basin-plan-amendments-disallowed-parliament
He said the MDBA was an independent, science-based and evidence-driven organisation, in expressing disappointment that the disallowance motion vote had succeeded.
“I urge all parties to continue to work together in a spirit of consensus and cooperation to deliver the Basin Plan - this remains our nation's best pathway for securing the environmental future of this vital shared resource and the communities that depend on it,” he said.
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