General News

24 November, 2025

GMW wants Government to have a better strategy

GOULBURN Murray Water has reiterated its opposition to non-strategic water buybacks.

Chair Justin Hanney said buybacks continued to undermine the long-term viability of irrigation districts and regional towns and failed to deliver the balanced social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

“Open-tender water purchases have had a big impact on communities in our region in the past,” he said. “These non-strategic purchases create a Swiss cheese effect, where the patchy nature of the buybacks means we are delivering less water but still have the same costs relating to infrastructure operation and maintenance.

“We need a strategic approach to buybacks that enables ... economic ... social impacts, of water purchases to be minimised.

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