AN urgent study of the social and economic impacts of water reform in the Murray Darling Basin would be commissioned within weeks of an Abbott-led Government being voted in next weekend, the Opposition leader declared this morning.
Promising to turn the current approach to the clawing back of water for the environment on its head, Mr Abbott and his water spokesmen, Barnaby Joyce and Simon Birmingham, also pledged to spend hundreds of millions more money "replumbing" irrigation farms to upgrade inefficient infrastructure.
The Coalition will develop new guidelines for the purchase of irrigation entitlements, and re-allocate hundreds of millions of dollars in structural adjustment to irrigation communities which have lost water, as part of major new commitments said to restore the balance in the Murray-Darling reform process, announced in Adelaide today.
"The future of the Murray Darling should not and cannot be a choice between the environment or agriculture," Mr Abbott said.
"We will end the delays, act on the concerns of Basin communities and end the blatant politicking that has spoiled so many previous efforts at water reform."
The announcement has been welcomed by the National Farmers' Federation, which says "the Coalition has raised the bar by committing to ensuring balance in the new Basin Plan".
"Balancing food production and environmental needs is essential," NFF president David Crombie said.
"Farmers and healthy river systems are co-dependent, so governments must not be blinkered in how they approach water-use in the basin.
"This commitment will be a relief to farmers, regional communities and all invested in sound environmental management in the Basin."
The Opposition's Murray-Darling policy package comes hot on the heels of major commitments by Labor to take on 100 per cent of the risk from any gap between old water use caps and the new (and still-to-be-released) sustainable diversion limits.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has moved to end farmer uncertainty about how the Government intended to meet those new limits, which will be included in a much-anticipated Murray Darling Basin Authority plan, and promised to buy all the water needed for the environment as recommended by the plan.
In her announcement, also in Adelaide on Tuesday, Ms Gillard and her water minister, Penny Wong, ruled out any compulsory acquisition and settled questions of compensation with the promise to secure all the water required through the existing buyback process.
This is despite the plan still not being released, and it unclear how much water will be needed for the environment or what such a commitment will cost.
But the Opposition isn't satisfied the full impacts of the plan have been considered by the Government, and while it is still committed to implementing the plan, it will increase consultation and start a new $1.5 million study focusing on the economic and social impacts of the Murray-Darling reforms.
If it wins Government, the Coalition would use the findings of the study to find the most effective ways of reaching the new sustainable diversion limits "while optimising economic and social considerations".
Senator Joyce said the Coalition was committed to a "triple bottom line approach" to the MDB, accusing the Government of "only worrying about the environment, and counting the bodies later".
Mr Abbott said he was committed to "real action" to modernise Australia's irrigation schemes.
He said the Coalition would commit an extra $300 million towards on-farm upgrades, which he said was support which would maintain the economic base for many Australian communities and ensure that "all Australians continue to have access to a wide variety of foods and maintains Australia as a major exporter of quality produce".
Mr Abbott said on-farm infrastructure upgrades could save water for the environment "while keeping the economic engines of the basin alive".
Buybacks are still an option under the Coalition, but a new strategic approach to buying water for the environment would be developed.
The Coalition still supports the purchase of water entitlements from willing sellers, but says Labor's approach has been "ad-hoc" and water has been bought in the wrong places.
"Every dollar dedicated to the Murray-Darling reform should be treated with as much respect as the water this process is attempting to save," Mr Abbott said.
"Funds should be spent according to a strategy, not to suit political imperatives."
The Coalition's water buybacks would be undertaken in a manner which it claims would deliver greater certainty to irrigators and the communities in which they live, and give value for money for taxpayers.
New buyback guidelines will be developed.
The Opposition will match the Government's commitment this week to "bridge the gap" and buy water to meet the new sustainable diversion limits.
It says it wants to reduce the red-tape currently imposed on irrigators.
Abbott's water promises:
- Delive r the 2007 national plan for the MDB first announced by John Howard;
- Release the draft basin plan within two weeks if elected to Government;
- Implement the plan, but with more input and consultation;
- Fix Menindee Lakes evaporation issues;
- $300m extra for on-farm irrigation upgrades;
- New strategic plan and guidelines for water buybacks;
- "Triple bottom line" focus – environment, social and economic;
- Commission urgent economic and social study on impacts of basin plan;
- Direct community input to Minister over water plan;
- $200m extra money for basin communities affected by major loss of water;
- Buy water to bridge gap between old and new water caps;
- Reduce irrigator red tape; and
- $500m for innovative ways to create or store water with no impact on MDB.
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