Walsh calls for consensus

SWAN HILL GUARDIAN

VICTORIAN Water Minister Peter Walsh said the proposed basin plan
should be abolished if the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is 
unable to deliver a plan which the basin ministers support.

At a local level, Mr Walsh said for the plan to proceed the MDBA would
need to take on board issues which were previously outlined in the joint 
ministers communiqué, noting little had been done to address issues 
relating to the apportionment of water recovery and sustainable diversion 
limit adjustment mechanisms.
He said unless a consensus could be reached between all parties, the 
focus should turn towards the shared management of the basin to achieve 
outcomes.

"The MDBA's lack of a suitable response to some sections of this year's
July 9consensus communiqué is incredibly frustrating and disappointing," 
Mr Walsh said.

"There are many issues that require further discussion from ministers as
the MDBA has not taken these earlier comments into account."

He said further to the consensus document, Victoria and New South Wales
had also provided Mr Burke with an agreed notice. Mr Walsh said basin 
ministers and staff from the Basin Officials Committee would continue to 
work on the finer details of the plan in a bid to reach a consensus in the 
coming weeks.

"Victoria and New South Wales are in agreement in asking for a
sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism to apply in the final basin 
plan to stop irrigation water being stripped from rural communities and food 
and fibre producers, and to achieve better environmental outcomes," 
Mr Walsh said.

"Victoria and New South Wales also do not support the Commonwealth
entering the water market with further buyback tenders unless it is aligned 
with irrigation upgrades."