Almost all of the water in a Sydney harbor committed to Australia’s largest river system cannot be delivered before a 2024 deadline, a new report says, despite a pledge by the now prime minister, his government I would deliver the water.
Key Points:
- The promise to return 450 gigalitres of water each year to the Murray-Darling Basin will not be fulfilled.
- It could cost nearly $11 billion to meet the pledge if the 2024 deadline is dropped
- The statutory report found that so far not enough water has been saved to meet the commitment
It could cost ratepayers almost $11 billion to deliver 450 gigalitres (GL) of water to the environment through the Murray-Darling system, according to the latest legal review required by the Water Act.
“Setting aside program and time constraints, the estimated cost to recover the full 450 GL through efficiency measures is between $3.4 billion and $10.8 billion,” the second review of the Special Water Account found by to the environment (WESA).
“It is not possible to achieve the 450 GL target through the current program of efficiency measures … even if WESA’s time and budget limits were removed.”
Less than $60 million of the $1.7 billion WESA fund for water-saving projects had been spent as of June last year.
WESA’s reviewers said that not enough water had been recovered so far and that the requirements for where water savings could be found were too restrictive.
A 2018 agreement between the Commonwealth and basin state ministers set out strict criteria for how GL 450 could be reclaimed, to ensure no negative social or economic impact on basin communities.
It was to be reclaimed for the environment through what are known as efficiency projects, those that save water by changing the way it is used.
As of June 2021, only 2 GL of water had been recovered towards the target of 450 GL.
Despite several warnings the 450 GL target would not be met, Anthony Albanese doubled down on the water promise during the election campaign.
“Labour will deliver the last 450 gigalitres of water for the environment that Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce failed to deliver,” Albanese announced in Adelaide in April.
Earlier this month, Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said it would be “almost impossible” to deliver the 450 GL.
In question time last week, he also mocked the opposition for delivering only 2 GLs while in office.
Tanya Plibersek took aim at the Coalition’s handling of the Murray-Darling in question time on Tuesday. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
Plibersek says the former government “ran the clock” on the promise of water
The second review of WESA was handed to former water minister Keith Pitt late last year but was not tabled in federal parliament until today.
“It’s disappointing that this report was never published, but not surprising,” Ms Plibersek said.
“The previous government had no intention of delivering on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, they just didn’t have the guts to admit it before the election.
“The failure to implement the plan was not due to a lack of money, but to a lack of will.”
Ms Plibersek accused the Coalition of “running down the clock” on the fund for water saving projects.
“They deliberately hoped to leave it unspent … the report shows that under the current policy setup there is virtually no way the money can be spent in the remaining time frame,” he said.
Water promised for the Murray Darling Basin will not be delivered before the 2024 deadline. (Supplied: Madman)
Last year, some Nationals senators and MPs tried unsuccessfully to change the law, scrap the 450GL pledge, which was made in exchange for South Australia’s support for the 2012 Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Earlier this week, the Victorian Farmers’ Federation issued a statement calling on the federal government to “get clear on how it expects to recover the 450 GL and avoid negative impacts on our communities”.
“Where is the openness and integrity that the new government promised us?” Andrew Leahy, spokesman for the Victorian Farmers Federation.
The 450 GL target is a component of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Over the past decade, more than 2,100 gigalitres have been reallocated towards an environmental water target of 2,750 gigalitres.
This water comes mainly from infrastructure improvements and agriculture.