Independent Senator for South Australia Nick Xenophon writes:
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A decision by the Victorian Government to abandon a 10% limit on the amount of Murray-Darling water that can be traded is proof the restriction was wrong.
The move comes after the South Australian Government threatened to contest the legality of the Victorian restriction in the High Court – a move of which I have been a long time advocate.
The Victorian Government knew this scheme wouldn’t hold water if it was scrutinized by the High Court. This is further proof that state governments can’t be trusted to act in the national interest.
The abandoning of this cap will mean more water can be traded which in turn should mean more water for South Australia.
However, Victoria’s 4% cap on the amount of water that can be traded outside the State remains.
In February this year I negotiated with the Federal Government for a $500 million fast tracking of funds for water buybacks along the Murray-Darling River system.
The South Australian Government decided to take the Victorian Government to court when it became clear the Federal Government’s accelerated buyback was being hindered by the Victorian government’s caps on trade.
Victoria’s decision today is a tacit acceptance of the fact that state and territory governments don’t actually control the rivers. If this went to the High Court, I believe the Federal Government would be found to be the ultimate authority over the rivers.
That’s why I am again calling for an immediate national take-over of the Murray-Darling River system. We need one river system with one set of rules and we need that river system to be run in the national interest.
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Have Your Say.
May 8, 2009 at 9:53 pm
While the levelling of the playing field for buyback opportunity in the Basin is no doubt welcomed by all the other states, it will be interesting to see what the Victorians got in return for removing the 10% limit. There is no way the Vic government would sacrifice anything, even for the conservative-voting farmers, without getting a payoff.
Less popular amongst the farmers is Senator Xenophon’s ‘accelerated buyback money. Every farmer in the basin has been screaming for the start of the long-promised spending on efficiency programs, which will at least better equip the farmers, their respective states & the nation as a whole, for the future.
Water savings can be made 2 way: efficiency improvements that return some water to the Commonwealth & buyback. Buyback is a means that will remove country from production, forever. Efficiency programs equip farmers to grow the same amount of produce with less water, which has been the catch-cry of the Federal governments – both of them. Buyback removes country & people from productive agriculture. This can only be a desirable result where that country should never have been irrigated anyway & a living cannot be made.
Unless Senator Xenophon is happy for the extra $500 million to buy back water from South Australian farmers who all want to stop farming, & I doubt that, it is a bad idea.