Certainty for irrigators in the Northern Basin is one step closer after the Senate voted to pass the Water Amendment Bill 2018 on Monday night.
The amendment to the Water Act will meant northern Murray Darling Basin communities will retain an extra 70GL of water, while still delivering environmental outcomes.
Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud said he was pleased for farmers and rural communities in the northern Murray Darling Basin.
“We’ve put the two million people who live in the Murray-Darling Basin ahead of politics,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Retaining the extra 70 gigalitres of water in Northern Basin communities will protect jobs.
“We continue to deliver certainty on water supply to communities who haven’t had it for so long.
“I will now direct the Murray Darling Basin Authority to create the necessary legal Instrument that will see an extra 70 gigalitres retained by rural communities while still delivering environmental outcomes for the Northern Basin.”
“I’ve always said politicians would never create lasting peace by going to war and I thank the Opposition for supporting basin communities last night.”
The move has been welcomed by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation with president Stuart Armitage saying it would provide some certainty to communities that have suffered damaging socio-economic impacts under the Northern Basin Review.
“For example, Dirranbandi has lost 27 per cent of its irrigated area while in St George, jobs in agriculture have dropped by more than 15pc and non-agriculture private sector jobs are down more than 20pc,” he said.
“The Senate vote means that 36GL less water will now be recovered from Queensland – a much needed and welcome reprieve.”
“The NBR and the Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Adjustment Mechanism are important science and evidence-based refinements to the Murray Darling Basin Plan, that were agreed by all Basin State Governments and the Federal Parliament in 2012.”
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan was a watershed moment for Australian water policy. It represents a workable way to achieve environmental outcomes while minimising the economic and social impacts on many Basin communities.”
