MORE WATER NEEDS TO FLOW UNDER THE (MURRAY) BRIDGE

NXT Senator Rex Patrick and Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie are calling on Federal and State Governments to put the brakes on rolling out the next phase of the "leaky" Murray Darling Basin Plan.

"While NXT supports the Murray Darling Basin Plan being implemented in full, confidence in that implementation has been eroded over the past twelve months," said Rex.

"When you combine recent allegations of water theft, a complaint about lack of transparency, concerns about high water buyback prices, a refusal to commit to a federal Royal Commission and the fact that remedies in other inquiries have not been fully implemented, things need to change before moving forward."

To restore confidence in the Plan we need to have: 

“A number of scientific experts have cast doubt over the merits of proceeding with the Plan. We need to get the scientific foundations right before proceeding," said Rebekha.

"There's no point pressing ahead in circumstances where it's obvious the Plan isn't working as originally intended. 

"The Plan is so leaky we cannot possibly allow changes to an already fragile system until we get this right. We will only get one chance."

It's NXT's view that no changes to the Plan should occur until we have addressed these problems and furthermore, changes to the Plan should be presented as an integrated package - that being changes to the Northern Basin SDLs, changes to the Southern Basin SDLs and the 450GL efficiency measures. 

NXT has been in conversation with the Federal Government and will continue to work with them to ensure the Plan can be implemented with measurable outcomes in relation to water flowing through the Murray mouth and ensuring value for money in any Commonwealth-funded measures.