After announcing a support package in August last year to help Basin communities adjust under Labor’s buyback basin plan, Minister Plibersek, with a federal election around the corner, has only just announced the first flow of funding.
In typical Labor fashion, the first beneficiaries of this election-eve funding are state bureaucracies, receiving millions for ‘consultation.’ This raises the question: what have governments at all levels been doing in the 14 months since the announcement of this policy?
Shadow Minister for Water, Senator Perin Davey said the state governments have gained a reputation for being all talk on delivery and taking millions for bureaucrats’ salaries and consultants when it comes to MDB projects.
“While the Labor government pours taxpayer dollars into endless consultations and delayed projects, their failure to act decisively is leaving communities high and dry without the support they were promised to adapt and thrive,” Senator Davey said.
Senator Davey said NSW alone has received $130 million for business cases and planning for the removal of constraints since 2017 yet has not finalised a single business case.
“Couple this with the Albanese Government continuing to pour millions of Commonwealth taxpayer dollars into further planning for already-delayed projects like the Wilcannia Weir and the Main Weir fishway at Menindee, with little to show for it except reports and mounting frustration.
“Why does a State Government need $16 million from the Commonwealth to ‘consult’ with affected communities? Surely, they’re already engaging with these communities and understand their needs.”
“In the business world, no company could justify spending millions on planning without delivering results. But in water management, the reliance on bureaucratic studies and reviews is stifling real action,” Senator Davey said.
While Senator Davey welcomed the intent to support irrigation communities to adjust, paying Parramatta based bureaucrats to do what they should be doing anyway is not money well spent.
“Just this week we have seen a report from the Wentworth Group highlighting the amount of money spent on water reform and the lack of real outcomes and this is just another example of money churn.
“The success of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, touted as a hallmark of environmental stewardship, has been hampered by bureaucratic delays and a singular focus on water recovery while failing to improve flow management or deliver the infrastructure needed to achieve intended outcomes.
“Meanwhile, our impacted communities have been waiting since last August to find out how this adjustment package may be rolled out, and I don’t think the idea of another round of consultation is going to deliver against their expectations,” Senator Davey concluded.
