A SENATE committee investigating the long-term impacts of water management in the Murray-Darling Basin has attacked the Government for failing to invest in the modernisation and upgrades of irrigation infrastructure ahead of water buybacks.
A new report tabled by the committee, which comprised a majority of Coalition Senators, found that a higher priority needed to be placed on the "replumbing" of rural Australia through both on and off-farm infrastructure projects.
It has also called for an economic and social impact statement on the strategy guiding water buybacks.
Evidence to the inquiry included a telling statement from the CSIRO's Dr Tom Hatton who told the committee that the Government might get "better for your buck in the water purchase if you invest some of your financial resources into infrastructure".
Not surprisingly, Government Senators involved with the committee have written their own dissenting report, arguing the Government is on the right track to deliver major reforms and return large volumes of water to the environment after what they say were "years of inaction" by the previous Coalition Government.
The Greens, too, did not agree with the report and completed their own minority report which found the Government should not put off further water purchases for the environment, however called for the protection of agricultural lands for the purposes of food security.
The committee investigating the matter, chaired by Nationals Senator Fiona Nash, recommended "careful consideration" be given to the impact of the acceleration of the water buybacks when infrastructure projects had not been completed or even commenced.
It said the Government "must hasten both on-farm and off-farm infrastructure spending where it delivers water savings and increased environmental flows while enhancing both food security and the viability of regional communities".
It also called on the Federal and NSW Government to immediately sort out a secure water supply for Broken Hill and re-engineer Menindee Lakes to reduce evaporation.
It called for more work by State Governments to reduce urban reliance on the system, with calls for water recycling and desalination in Adelaide and a halt to the controversial North-South Pipeline in Victoria.
Labor Senators Glenn Sterle and Kerry O'Brien wrote that whilst some in the community would argue the pace of the Government's basin reforms was too slow, others – including some Opposition Senators – argue that the pace is too fast.
"Government Senators believe that the Australian Government has got the balance right," the Labor report reads.
"The Australian Government recognises the urgency of the current water crisis in the Basin, and does not believe that further delay on action such as investment in irrigation efficiency and infrastructure, and purchase of water from willing sellers, is warranted.
"…given that very little happened in the years prior to the Rudd Government to restore the balance between consumptive and environmental water needs and to address the threat of climate change, to delay action any further would be irresponsible."
They said, however, that the process of developing a new basin plan "cannot, and must not be rushed".
While Greens Senators said they agreed with many of the recommendations in the majority report they disagreed with the position on water buybacks.
"We cannot support putting off purchases of water when they become available," the Greens report said.
"We urge the Government to put more resources into community planning and not rely on the ad hoc patchwork process that is occurring in the basin at present."
The said food production and security remain vitally important issues, and a "strategic approach" was needed to ensure the most productive lands in agriculture were kept.
"At the same time we must face the reality of the fact that the system has been over-allocated and we will need to push on with improving the efficiency of our irrigation infrastructure and returning more water to the system to ensure our levels of water extraction are sustainable for the long term."
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