Southern Riverina Irrigators chair Peter McDonald said since implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, rural communities dependent on irrigation have faced uncertainty, reduced allocation reliability, financial stress and ever increasing costs.
“Helen Dalton has been fighting for water since she was elected and we wholeheartedly support her call for a royal commission,” he said.
“The treachery, lies and shonky deals must be brought to light so they can be stopped once and for all and we can see a return to sensible and beneficial water management for rural communities.”
The Basin Plan is at the core of water reform and since its inception in 2012, water has been stripped away from productivity and stable food production, leaving behind a legacy of distressed farmers, struggling rural communities, reduced job opportunities and closed shop fronts.
“In 2026 we have a review of the Basin Plan due, and it would be perfect timing to line up a royal commission,” Mr McDonald said.
“For the first time ever, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority has publicly acknowledged some of the environmental outcomes under the Basin Plan are unachievable, particularly around the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth, so why are we still pushing ahead with buybacks and other necessary reforms that ultimately rip the heart out of our rural communities, reduce productivity and negatively impact the future of our country?
“Anyone with a water access licence can invest in water - even if you live overseas and operate a super fund.”
Mr McDonald said the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder now has more than $13 billion of water sitting in an inflexible portfolio, that generates little financial return and questionable outcomes.
“As a nation we are losing billions of dollars a year in lost productivity and the basin environment in general is no better off than we started – the Coorong is still dying and adding more and more water and wasting it out to sea is not fixing the problem.
“We live on the driest habitable continent on earth and we allow this to happen - there have been so many questionable decisions over time and we demand a stop to them all, before it’s too late.
“Australia needs a royal commission into water and we need it now.”
