5 years ago
LABOR WILL GET THE BASIN PLAN BACK ON TRACK
TONY BURKE MP
Australians have watched an ecological disaster as a result of the failure of the Liberals and Nationals to properly implement the Murray Darling Basin Plan or take water reform seriously.
This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will get the Murray back into health, or more of the Liberals’ cuts and chaos.
In addition to fish kills, there have been serious allegations of water theft, the undermining of the Basin Plan by Barnaby Joyce, as well as four reports focused on solutions:
- The Productivity Commission review of the implementation of the Basin Plan.
- The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission.
- The Academy of Sciences review into the fish kills.
- The Vertessy review into the fish kills.
There is no doubt action needs to be taken and it needs to be comprehensive. Labor will invest over $120 million to:
- Ensure more water for the Murray Darling Basin by guaranteeing delivery of the 450GL, removing the cap on buybacks and reverting to the original socio-economic test in the Basin Plan relating to the 450GL.
- Restore integrity in the system by initiating a Commission of Inquiry into the purchase of certain water entitlements from Eastern Australia Agriculture Pty Ltd and moving the compliance division of the Murray Darling Basin Authority to the proposed EPA.
- Ensure the science is central to decision making and climate change impacts are understood.
- Improve transparency by investing for Basin-wide real time monitoring and re-establishing the Sustainable Rivers Audit.
- Help fish recovery.
- Support cultural water and First Nations’ leadership in the Basin.
Labor can be trusted to get back work on restoring the Basin to health.
Details of Labor’s package to get the Basin Plan back on track and restore the Basin to health are attached.
End the chaos. Vote for change. Vote for Labor.