Tucked into the depths of the MYEFO is further proof the Albanese Government has only one plan for the Murray-Darling, and that is water buybacks according to Shadow Water Minister, Perin Davey.
“Instead of helping farmers become more resilient to a changing climate, or future proofing the Basin, Labor is draining more money into the buyback bucket,” Senator Davey said.
“This occurred on the same day the Murray-Darling Basin Authority released a report admitting flow targets contained in the Basin Plan cannot be achieved.
“Labor is so focussed on saying they have met the water recovery targets they have taken their eyes off the environmental objectives.
“While they are happy to tell us how much money they are ‘saving’ by shifting this money around, they are still not telling us how much they are spending.”
The MYEFO reconfirms the closure of the On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme moving all remaining, but unidentified, funds to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin.
“The Rebate Scheme was designed by the Liberals and Nationals in Government to assist farmers prepare for, and be more resilient to, the impacts of climate change,” Senator Davey explained.
“It was all about protecting and improving productivity in a future with more extreme weather events.
“Importantly, the scheme was Australia-wide, recognising that it is not only the Murray-Darling Basin that will be confronted by climate change.
“MYEFO continues a trend from past budgets where Labor has moved money from Australia-wide water infrastructure programs including the National Water Grid into the “not-for-publication” Basin Plan buyback program,” Senator Davey concluded.
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