General News
9 March, 2025
Buyback push ‘will strip security’
A FRESH push for another 100 gigalitres of water buybacks in the Southern Connect Basin further risked Loddon irrigation water security, according to Ken Pattison. The veteran agripolitics campaigner from Fernihurst said last week’s “quiet...
A FRESH push for another 100 gigalitres of water buybacks in the Southern Connect Basin further risked Loddon irrigation water security, according to Ken Pattison.
The veteran agripolitics campaigner from Fernihurst said last week’s “quiet announcement” by the Government was perpetuating its buyback disaster “that will destroy Goulburn Murray Water and its customers”.
“This latest bid to buy water from our region will empty out security for gravity irrigation areas of northern Victoria,” Mr Pattison said.
Last year, the Government announced a 70 gigalitre buyback from the southern Murray Darling Basin.
Southern Riverina Irrigators CEO Sophie Baldwin said: “Not only is (Water Minister) Plibersek stripping water away from communities, she is stripping away economic returns and increasing the cost of living, despite the Commonwealth Environment Water Holder already owning over 4600 gigalitres of water they can’t deliver.”
The latest water buyback comes as irrigators in Boort, Calivil and Dingee are hit with rationing from this week. Farmers are scrambling to have orders filled to water pasture crops.