Hatty: Hold government to account

Southern Riverina Irrigators chairman Ted Hatty says locals must hold the government to account in regards to water recovery.

A Federal Government bill to fund the recovery of an extra 450 gigalitres (GL) of environmental water was passed by the House of Representatives last week.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which will take 2750GL of productive water for the environment, was signed into law late last month.

The extra 450GL is expected to be mainly sourced through on-farm efficiency works.

Mr Hatty said ‘‘we need to hold them to account on that point’’.

‘‘Our priority has been [the government] should get their water from infrastructure and efficiencies,’’ he said.

However, he warned that even with water sourced through efficiencies, there would still be a ‘‘tipping point’’.

‘‘There is a point where the irrigation districts do become too expensive for the irrigators to use the water.

‘‘We need to be careful that we don’t have a ‘Rolls Royce’ system with no water available to put through it.’’

Mr Hatty does not believe 2750GL of environmental water is needed — let alone an extra 450GL.

The chairman also welcomed a promise from the NSW Government to put its own cap on water buy-backs in place.

Mr Hatty met with NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson while she was in Deniliquin last Wednesday.

Ms Hodgkinson said she already had the Ministerial Order to cap buy-backs to three per cent per valley per decade drafted.

Once implemented, it would remain in place until overridden by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

‘‘The Murray-Darling Basin Plan comes into effect in July 2014,’’ she said.

‘‘At that time the basin plan will override the order I’ve put in.’’

Ms Hodgkinson said depending on election results, the NSW Government could then put in legislation to ‘‘reinforce that cap’’.

The Federal Coalition has also promised to limit buy-backs if it wins government next year.

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said buy-backs under the basin plan would be capped at 1500GL, and none of the 450GL would be sourced through buy-backs.

At the moment, the Federal Government can make water purchases towards the 450GL goal, if they are linked with infrastructure investment.

They can also buy-back water to reach 2750GL, if expected water savings from efficiency projects are not realised.