Harriet Shing talked with about 40 anxious community leaders for three hours about how the new baisn plan federal legislation was going to affect Victorian irrigators.
Water industry leaders are worried about how the new laws will allow the Federal Government to buy up water for the environment, which will impact on the productive capacity of northern Victorian agriculture.
Ms Shing’s Labor government is opposed to the buybacks, but she would not be drawn on how she would fight her federal counterparts over the water grab.
In response to questions from Country News, Ms Shing said her focus was on understanding what the Commonwealth timeframes are, how they intend to implement parts of the legislation, and negotiating for funding for critically important environmental projects.
Asked if she would fight the Commonwealth to protect Victorian water, she said her priority is one of negotiation and consensus and, where possible, mutually agreed outcomes.
“That is where all of my effort and attention is going.“
Victoria has a lot in common with the Commonwealth and there are many parts of the new law which answer Victoria’s concerns.
“We have policy differences but we have a lot in common,” Ms Shing said.
She said the Shepparton meeting on Wednesday, January 17 discussed the new Murray-Darling Basin Plan, the policy settings for Victoria, the Victorian Government’s opposition to buybacks and the projects which would bring environmental outcomes for Victoria.
Ms Shing said she wanted to enter into good faith negotiations with the Commonwealth to see projects that will provide invaluable water to the floodplains using pumps and regulators.
“We know we can achieve enormous amounts of progress in climate resilience and adaptation across our floodplains, which are home to migratory birds, insects, reptiles and incredibly important black box eucalyptus and other species.
“For example, at Hattah we can deliver significant benefits in the same terms as over-bank flows with 0.4 of one per cent of the water needed to come downstream.
“With 17 Gl we can achieve the same net outcome as 3920 Gl over a month-long period.”
Goulburn Murray Irrigation District Water Leaders Group co-chair David McKenzie did not want to comment on the content of the meeting, but said the Victorian water minister does not have a great range of options.
“All the power lies with the Federal Government now that the legislation has passed,” he said.
Mr McKenzie said it was good Ms Shing was looking for opportunities to engage with stakeholders.
He said water communities will probably have little notice when the Federal Government decides to implement the new law.
“I think we will find it will be upon us before we know it.”
VFF president Emma Germano and VFF Water Council chair Andrew Leahy met with Ms Shing during her visit to the Goulburn Valley.
“We are encouraged by the Victorian water minister making the effort to visit the farming communities that will be hit hard by these changes,” Ms Germano said.
“Minister Shing has a strong grasp of the issues and remains opposed to water buybacks and is focused on achieving the outcomes that the state governments originally agreed to when the basin plan was created.”
Ms Germano said Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has refused to visit the GMID and listen to impacted communities.
“It is critical that she does this to ensure any implementation of the new laws takes into account the impact on the Victorian environment and communities which are being totally ignored at the moment.”
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