In a statement focused on future planning and national resilience, Mr Farley argued that more than a decade of policy discussion has overlooked what he describes as a basic but essential question: what Australia will look like by 2050, and what resources will be required to support it.
While the Basin Plan’s current review process is open to public submissions, Mr Farley - who is also chair of the Speak Up 4 Water Campaign - warned that it risks revisiting the issue through too narrow a lens.
He said water policy can no longer be treated primarily as an environmental issue, given its interconnected role across multiple sectors.
“Water policy is no longer just environmental - it underpins food security, cost of living, national security, and regional stability,” he said.
“Treating it in isolation is no longer viable.”
Mr Farley pointed to climate variability, geopolitical uncertainty and economic shocks as factors that have fundamentally changed the risk landscape since the Basin Plan was first developed.
In his view, reliance on forecasting and static targets is insufficient under conditions of heightened volatility.
“Australia cannot rely on prediction alone,” he said.
“Climate volatility, geopolitical instability, and economic shocks demand scenario‑based planning - tested across defence, treasury, infrastructure, and environment portfolios - to understand trade‑offs before they become crises.”
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan was introduced in the aftermath of the Millennium Drought, a period that placed intense pressure on river systems and governments alike.
Mr Farley said the urgency of that moment shaped policy decisions, but limited the extent to which broader consequences were considered.
“The Basin Plan emerged under drought pressure, but its broader consequences were never fully examined,” he said, citing impacts on regional communities, food affordability, sovereign risk and long‑term national resilience.
Communities across the Basin continue to debate the plan’s implementation, balancing environmental water recovery with agricultural production and regional economic stability.
Mr Farley argues that with Australia’s population continuing to grow, and global uncertainty increasing, maintaining existing policy settings carries significant risk.
Instead, he is advocating for a longer‑term approach that links water management with infrastructure development, food production capacity and national security considerations.
He said such an approach would require investment decisions made on multi‑generational timeframes rather than short electoral cycles.
“Australia must shift toward long‑term water and infrastructure investment aligned with food and national security, supported by multi‑generational planning,” he said.
“Doing nothing is not an option,” he said.
“Australia owes future generations clear thinking, honest trade‑offs, and the courage to build a secure, well‑resourced nation for 2050.”
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan review is ongoing, with submissions expected to inform recommendations on how the plan should evolve in coming years.
