Yet again, big announcements by the Albanese Government raise more questions than answers, this time in a new deal between Victoria and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Shadow Minister for Water, Perin Davey said it is time the Labor Government delivered on their promise for an open and transparent government and told people not just how they will deliver the Plan, but also how much it will cost.
“Here we have the Minister selectively briefing journalists that she has ‘hundreds of millions’ more funding for buybacks and infrastructure, but she won’t quantify that figure.
“She has outlined minister to minister correspondence to claim she now has a commitment from Victoria to progress water recovery meanwhile the Victorian Government is still vehemently opposed to water buybacks.
“So, what is the deal the Minister has reached with Victoria? Will she return to funding infrastructure projects designed to reduce the water recovery target? Or is she going to ride roughshod over communities and open buyback tenders.
“It is beyond time we had a Ministerial Council Meeting to outline exactly where the States stand and what can and can’t be delivered. In the meantime, Minister Plibersek needs to get out of Sydney and into the Basin communities to explain how the amendments to the Water Act will be implemented.” Senator Davey said.
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