AROUND 100 regional leaders gathered on August 23 at the Northern Victorian Basin Water Summit held in Bendigo to address the renewed and imminent threat to northern Victorian communities due to changes in the federal approach to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Convened by the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) Water Leadership Forum, the summit included the Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, the Victorian Minister for Water Harriet Shing, local government leaders, a spectrum of politicians and representatives from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
Key concerns raised related to federal basin plan changes and frustration at the federal government’s return to an open tender purchase program, targeting Victorian irrigation districts while excluding New South Wales and South Australian districts.
Negative economic impacts from the government’s approach, including increased system costs and threats to the nation’s biggest irrigation districts was also addressed.
The lack of community consultation and collaboration by Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek with basin communities, was perceived to undermine on-ground successes.
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“It’s disappointing the Federal Government has gone back to an open tender purchase program in our community, unfairly targeting Victorian irrigation districts,” said Suzanna Sheed, Co-Chair of the GMID Water Leadership Forum.
"They are effectively reinstating methods that are proven to have negative economic impacts.
“With a reduction in local growers, farmers, and irrigators, losses in regional manufacturing and processing jobs are the next to go."
"This will also affect regional education, health, finance, and corporate sectors,” said David McKenzie, joint co-chair of the GMID Water Leadership Forum.
Referencing the Ethos Urban Report prepared on the economic impacts of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District, Mr. McKenzie
pointed out that in a repeat of millennium drought conditions coupled with a 450 gigalitre buyback the result could be a drying off of 45,000 hectares in the GMID with
associated annual reductions in gross value of irrigated agriculture production of around $200 million in the GMID and $100 million in the Mallee.
The Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, in addressing the summit confirmed the Victorian government stands with its northern Victorian communities and recognising the harm that would be done would ensure that a whole of government approach was taken which would include the Victorian portfolios of agriculture, regional development, jobs and skills and local government to address the negative impacts of implementation of the plan.
Both the Premier and the water minister stated they supported the call of the summit urging the federal government to abandon open tender buybacks and to collaborate
in good faith and support water-saving projects that have neutral or positive socio-economic outcomes.
Those attending the summit overwhelmingly supported a call for the Federal Minister for Water and Environment to collaborate in "good faith" with the Victorian Government and northern Victorian communities as outlined in the Victorian prospectus.
Attendees were also resolute in demanding Victorian irrigation districts are excluded from current and future EOI buybacks.
There was a call to actively reset the relationship with northern Victorian communities to meet Basin Plan outcomes without sacrificing socio-economic stability thereby ensuring a continued viable irrigation footprint for food production.
The forum also urged the Victorian Government to deliver a comprehensive whole-of-government response to support irrigation-dependent communities.
