Council says Restoring Our Rivers: Draft Framework lacks detail and puts community at risk

Summary Council's submission criticises the lack of detail in the Restoring Our Rivers: Draft Framework, expressing concerns about potential risks to the community and industries in Greater Shepparton. Despite supporting the framework's intention, Council highlights the need for further information regarding the environmental enhancements, water extraction plans and socio-economic impacts. Key concerns include the absence of details on water recovery monitoring, funding allocation for transition support, and the potential adverse effects of water buybacks on agriculture and food prices. Greater Shepparton emphasises the critical role of water in driving its economy, particularly in horticulture and dairy sectors, and urges for closer consultation with regional communities to address the proposed legislation's impacts.

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The Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 was introduced to Parliament in September last year to implement changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, including recovering 450GL of additional environmental water. A draft Framework was then released outlining three programs the Australian Government would establish to deliver the water targets, along with three principles which will guide the approach to water recovery: enhance environmental outcomes, minimise socio-economic impacts and achieve value for money.

Greater Shepparton is the ‘food bowl of Australia’, producing high quality fruit, vegetables and dairy, and premium agricultural products. At the heart of our thriving horticulture and agriculture industries is water, with this key resource being the backbone of our thriving environment.

Our region grows 99 per cent of the nation’s nashis, 86 per cent of all pears and 70 per cent of all peaches. At the heart of this is a state of the art, world class irrigation system which services the region on some of the best, fertile soils you will ever find.

Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said Council’s submission highlights the extreme lack of detail included in the framework, detail which could have a prolific impact on the community and many industries within Greater Shepparton.

“Council supports the draft Framework’s intention however it fails to detail the location, type and magnitude of the environmental enhancements and the amount of water required from the Southern Basin, including the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District,” he said.

“Water is at the heart of everything our region does and we need further information to fully understand the draft Framework and exactly where and how the 450GL of water will be taken.”

Councillor and Murray Darling Association (MDA) Region 2 Chair, Geoff Dobson, said the framework and modelling did not include important details such as how much water is to be removed from the Southern Basin, how the recovery of 450GL of water would be monitored within communities, how funding would be calculated and allocated to assist with transition, and how the funding would support affected communities as a result of buybacks.

“Water buybacks not only drive up the price of water, they increase the price of food, placing strain on farmers and consumers who are already doing it tough. Buybacks must be strategic, considered and well-coordinated to avoid significant impact on industry and the community,” he said.

Cr Sali said Greater Shepparton’s horticultural and dairy industry underpins our strong manufacturing sector, which supports Australia’s only remaining fruit preserving company SPC, along with major manufacturers including Rubicon, Bega, Unilever, Campbell’s Soup, Noumi, Redland Premium Fruit and the iconic J Furphy and Sons.

“If the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan continues in this vain, without transition support, our towns will be decimated, rural schools and kindergartens will close, football clubs will lack volunteers and businesses supporting the agricultural or manufacturing sector will be at risk,” he said.

The Murray Darling Basin Plan was a 2,750GL Plan with the possibility of the 450GL being recovered if there were no negative socio-economic impacts on communities. The Australian Government now aims to recover an additional 450GL from the Murray Darling Basin for environmental purposes without a clear, sound and reliable socio-economic assessment.

Cr Sali said the Federal Minister for Environment and Water, The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, had been invited to visit Greater Shepparton on multiple occasions however, disappointingly, the offer had not been taken up.

“The Minister has an open invitation to visit our region to understand the direct impact this framework will have on our community. We fail to understand how significant decisions like this can be made without visiting our region to have firsthand discussions with our community on what is being proposed,” he said.

“Regional communities rely on water. Water is the backbone of Greater Shepparton and it drives our economy, on both a domestic and export level, and the flow on effect from this new legislation would be devastating. It will decimate communities, drive up water prices, decrease the food produced across the Southern Basin and increase the cost of living.

“We will continue to work with the Victorian Water Minister, The Hon Harriet Shing, to minimise any adverse impacts this legislation will have on our community.”

Read Council’s submission to the 'Restoring our Rivers: Draft Framework for delivering the 450GL of additional environmental water' here.