Agriculture
27 July, 2024
Two abstain but majority vote to continue water fight
TWO Loddon Shire councillors on Tuesday broke ranks with colleagues and the Murray River Group of Councils when they refused to back a water advocacy plan to support irrigators. Cr Linda Jungwirth and Cr Wendy Murphy did not vote when councillors...
TWO Loddon Shire councillors on Tuesday broke ranks with colleagues and the Murray River Group of Councils when they refused to back a water advocacy plan to support irrigators.
Cr Linda Jungwirth and Cr Wendy Murphy did not vote when councillors decided to endorse the group’s push to maintain its opposition to open tender voluntary water buybacks.
The casting vote of Mayor Gavan Holt was needed for Loddon Shire, one of seven councils in the group, to continue calling for socio-economic impacts on communities to considered under the Murray Darling Basin plan.
Cr Neil Beattie said council had long opposed buybacks that would make the region’s water channel system unviable.
Cr Holt and CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald attended a meeting of Boort and Pyramid Hill irrigators earlier this month.
Cr Holt on Tuesday said water buybacks was a large issue in Loddon Shire with agriculture making up 70 per cent of the local economy, a significant proportion in irrigation.
Mr Fitzgerald told councillors: “Ultimately the future of irrigation in northern Victoria depends on irrigation districts being viable and irrigators having certainty about allocations regimes into the medium and long term
“Murray River Group water advocacy has always cantered on communities and focused on the socio-economic impact of the basin plan.
“(The group) has actively campaigned against open market buy backs due to the economic and social harm they have caused to our communities.
“Of particular concern is the ‘Swiss cheese’ effect of open tender buybacks. Previous water purchase programs led to water being purchased from ad hoc locations. Ultimately this left irrigation districts with a substantially intact geographic footprint and significantly reduced deliveries, meaning the same or similar overall infrastructure and operating costs are borne by fewer irrigators, increasing costs and farm risk for the remaining irrigators.
“Further buy backs will have the same effect, further exacerbating the problem.”
Murray River Group wants to minimised impact on water availability for towns, industries and agricultural production and wants Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Projects to delivery water savings, not more buybacks.
Cr Jungwirth said there were differing opinions. “I can see how important it is to our farmers and residents but I am not an expert in the area,” she said.
“It would be irresponsible of me to make a decision ... it’s a balancing act between farming and the environment.”
Cr Murphy, who is employed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, said she did not have enough information to make a decision.