Australia's Water Minister says it will be "next to impossible" to deliver a key component of the $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan that would see more water left in the rivers to improve the environment.
In her strongest remarks since her appointment to the water ministry, Tanya Plibersek said she was shocked at how much water was still to be recovered for the environment before the plan's 2024 deadline.
"I'm actually gobsmacked at how badly we're doing as a nation on meeting that target," Ms Plibersek said.
"I have to confess — perhaps I should have known — I didn't know how far behind we were on meeting those environmental flows until I took on this portfolio."
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan was legislated with bipartisan support in 2012 to determine how water in Australia's largest river system was to be shared between the environment and farmers.
Over the past decade, more than 2,100 gigalitres has been re-allocated, towards a 2,750 gigalitre environmental water target.
That water has mostly come from infrastructure upgrades and farming.
Under the plan, an additional 450 gigalitres of water was to be recovered for the environment through what's called efficiency measures, also to be completed by June 2024.
So far just 2 gigalitres of water has been recovered toward that specific target.
"I think it is extremely challenging to meet that [450-gigalitre] target and to meet it on the time frames that have been set," Ms Plibersek said.
Ms Plibersek said the states "would absolutely need to lift their games" to meet all of the commitments under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
'Target impossible without social and economical impact'
In 2018, state water ministers agreed to a strict criteria about how the 450 gigalitres could be recovered, to ensure no socio-economic harm to basin communities.
Speaking after Ms Plibersek's address, Shadow Water Minister Perin Davey said that delivering the "450 gigalitres without social and economic impact will also be next to impossible".
Senator Davey and her Nationals colleagues unsuccessfully led an attempt to scrap the 450-gigalitre commitment from the legislated plan in the Senate last year.
On Tuesday, Ms Davey said she was frustrated that Ms Plibersek "was focusing on one part of a complex plan and ignoring the lessons learned and outcomes being achieved".
"The social and economic neutrality provision was put in place by Labor at the time of writing the basin plan but [they] conveniently spent nine years in opposition ignoring the complexities and difficulties to deliver both it and other important aspects, such as constraints management," Senator Davey said.
"It is true that meeting the deadlines for some of the final parts of the plan will be difficult. I have long supported working with the states to extend deadlines where appropriate."
Greens say to buy back water from willing farmers
South Australia's support for the 2012 Murray-Darling Basin Plan was conditional on the inclusion of the additional 450-gigalitre target.
Following Ms Plibersek's remarks, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has once again called on the Commonwealth to buy back the 450 gigalitres for the environment from irrigators.
"I wouldn't want the minister putting up the white flag on the Murray-Darling Basin and the health of our river system," Ms Hanson-Young said.
"We need to put the water buy-backs back on the table and start allowing those who are willing to sell their water — for the sake of saving the environment — to do so."
More to plan than 450-gigalitre goal
Under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, 605 gigalitres is to be recovered for the rivers from major infrastructure projects managed by state governments, again, by June 2024.
Earlier this year, former Coalition water minister Keith Pitt said some of these projects would not be met on time.
During her address to the National Press Club on Tuesday, Ms Plibersek was critical of the former Coalition government's role implementing the plan.
"The previous government had a decade to fulfil the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. It's a good plan. Labor made it. Labor delivered it … it saved the river system from dying in 2019, but it's yet to be fully implemented."
Ms Plibersek also said the federal government was committed to delivering $40 million for First Nations groups to participate in Australia's water market.
That commitment was first announced by former water minister David Littleproud in 2018 but had not been delivered.
