Today’s announcement by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance of an inquiry into the implementation of the Northern Basin Toolkit1 is a good starting point, however it is just one Basin Plan measure that has failed to progress according to Shadow Minister for Water, Senator Perin Davey.
Senator Davey said constraints measures and sustainable diversion limit adjustment measures (SDLAM) have all been tied up in a bureaucratic hamster wheel of going nowhere.
“When Labor came to power it was full of promises but the only things they have progressed in almost three years are buybacks and business cases,” Senator Davey said.
“Labor has the wrong priorities when it comes to finalising the Basin Plan.
“This is evident in the disinterest shown by Minister Plibersek in these projects. She has spent more time overseas than she has visiting the Basin in her capacity as Minister for Water.
“Minister Plibersek needs to leave her comfort zone and visit Basin communities to hear first-hand to understand their concerns and work out a way forward.
“For example the Minister needs to hear from the people of Louth who thought they were making progress with designs to deliver a fish way in accordance with the Toolkit only to be told by bureaucrats that to do so they would need to lower the weir height and reduce the towns water security.
“The community is rightly dismayed and frustrated.”
Senator Davey welcomed the inclusion in the Terms of Reference to investigate the amount of money that has been spent by all governments in relation to implementing the Toolkit and what deliverables have been achieved.
“I know through my questions in Budget Estimates2 that nearly $100million has been spent on business cases for constraints projects without any actual progress,” she said.
“To add insult to injury, the Commonwealth in June this year has agreed to fund NSW another $69 million for planning and business cases to ‘accelerate’ just four constraints projects.3
“I am sure the Inspector-General’s investigation will bring more of these issues to light, but I would rather see positive progress,” Senator Davey concluded.
[ENDS]
1 Northern Basin Toolkit Inquiry – IGWC
2 Question on Notice: 239. Constraints Measures.pdf
3 Federal Financial Relations – Reconnecting River Country NSW.pdf