Environment Victoria would like to see more over-bank flows along the Goulburn River.
Environment Victoria has launched an attack on the Victorian Government over its opposition to buybacks for the Murray-Darling Basin.
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The environment organisation has released a report demanding the delivery of an extra 450 Gl of environmental water, dismissing the qualifications of no negative socio-economic impact, and urging more over-bank flooding along the rivers and the removal of levee banks on flood plains.
Environment Victoria sees the survival of 140 bird and fish species as dependent on the recovery of more water for the Murray-Darling.
“... it is incumbent on the Australian Government to use the full force of its powers to achieve a satisfactory outcome for Victoria’s threatened species,” the report states.
Country News put a number of questions to Environment Victoria chief executive officer Jono La Nauze about the report. He was asked why the criticism was being directed at the Victorian Government, when Victoria had contributed more environmental water than any other state.
“It’s not a competition for who has done most. What matters at the end of the day, is the water that is determined to be required for the environment, has it been recovered? And it hasn’t,” Mr La Nauze said.
“We’re at a critical juncture for the basin plan. The deadlines for water recovery and for offset projects are fast approaching at the end of this year and every government has acknowledged that they are not on track for delivery. Ministers are right now negotiating what to do about that.
“We wanted to make the community and Victorian Government aware of what is at stake if we don’t get this right when it comes to Victorian threatened species and Victorian biodiversity.
“Their approach to the basin plan is one of the key reasons why the deadlines will not be met.
“The failure to achieve water recovery and barrier to achieve water offsets has been in large part due to the approach the Victorian Government has taken,” Mr La Nauze said.
The Australasian bittern is one of the critically endangered species inhabiting the Murray-Darling Basin. Photo: Adam Fry
“Victoria has actively obstructed the recovery of water through the means (in the report).
“The so-called socio-economic test essentially makes it impossible for the Commonwealth to recover any of the 450 Gl of water.
“I don’t think anyone is satisfied with the progress; 2100 Gl recovered or offset is not 3200 Gl.
“The pace of recovery since 2012 has been almost meaningless and we are not going to get there ahead of the next drought unless something changes.”
The 2100 Gl is meaningless?
“I am saying that almost all of that water had already been recovered by 2012. The pace of recovery over the last decade has been far too slow,“ Mr La Nauze said.
In a statement about the report, Mr La Nauze said the Victorian Government must stop opposing the Federal Government’s intention to purchase water for the environment so that the 450 Gl of additional water for the environment can be recovered.
“This includes abandoning the inappropriately named and unworkable ‘socio-economic test’,” he said.
The report did not look at achieving more water from Adelaide through their desalination plant, which can produce between 30 and 100 Gl/year. Adelaide draws up to 50 per cent of its drinking water from the Murray River, although the city is not in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Mr La Nauze said threatened species need real water returned to the rivers and wetlands where they live, and the most straightforward and effective way to do that is buying it from irrigators.
“Instead the Victorian Government has preferred to give subsidies to irrigators and avoid water recovery targets by relying on dubious offsets.
“These options are far more expensive than simply buying the water and unlikely to deliver the claimed water savings.
“Subsidies to irrigators and clever accounting schemes might look reasonable on paper but they won’t trigger bird breeding events or fish movement. River red gums can’t wait through another drought for these dodgy projects to deliver water savings that may never materialise.”
A Victorian Government spokesperson said securing environmental outcomes under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan requires more than just adding water.
“Victoria remains focused on delivering the basin plan, as agreed, with positive outcomes for the environment, communities and regional economies across the entire basin including the Darling River,” the spokesperson said.
“That’s why we’re working with the Commonwealth to extend the basin plan deadline to ensure Victoria’s environmental projects can be completed and deliver 95 per cent of our water recovery target without harming communities.”
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