Helen Dalton MP INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR MURRAY AS YOUR LOCAL MP HERE IS MY MONTHLY NEWS UPDATE. The battle to stop 450GL of water from Southern Basin irrigation communities being flushed out to sea by South Australia is taking on more urgency Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek remains determined to destroy Southern Basin irrigation communities with her Water Amendment (Restoring our Rivers) Bill 2023 despite those communities demonstrating loudly and clearly that water buybacks are not a solution to her water accounting problem. Maintaining the socioeconomic neutrality criteria agreed by State and Federal ministers at the Basin Ministerial Council meeting on 14 December 2018 is essential. While on-farm efficiency projects in particular may be neutral or positive for participating individuals, collectively they result in negative community socioeconomic and water market impacts. Between the basin states and the federal government they hold 4600GL of environmental water. The basin plan requires just 2700GL plus an extra 450GL The 450GL currently requires a neutrality test which Federal Water Minister, Tanya Pibersek is trying to remove. They need to sort their own water accounting issues. The Productivity Commission's Interim Report into the Federal Water Ministers Murray Darling Basin Plan Amendment Bill very clearly states that, "The absence of a credible delivery pathway for the 450 GLY over the next four years - including catchment-specific Helen Dalton MP for Murray Authorised by Helen Dalton MP, Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements. Griffith 02 6962 6644 Deniliquin 03 5881 7034 500 targets-provides no certainty to Basin communities or water market participants, potentially undermining planning and investment decisions. The government risks being seen as just chasing a volumetric target" The Government must come clean on: 1. How many jobs will be lost and how much farm production will be slashed by removing all limits on water buybacks. 2. The impact of reduced farm production on Australians' cost of living, and Australia's exports and balance of trade. 3. What environmental outcomes can be achieved given constraints on delivering purchased water. 4. When, if ever, alternative proposals to complete the Plan without buybacks (provided to Government earlier this year) will be assessed. 5. How the environmental outcomes of buybacks compare with options to directly invest in the health of the river, such as funding fish ladders, bank restoration or carp eradication. Helen Dalton MP for Murray Authorised by Helen Dalton MP, Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements. I Buronga 0475 683 288 murray@parliament.nsw.gov.au Helen Dalton MP INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR MURRAY AS YOUR LOCAL MP HERE IS MY MONTHLY NEWS UPDATE . The battle to stop 450GL of water from Southern Basin irrigation communities being flushed out to sea by South Australia is taking on more urgency Federal Environment Minister , Tanya Plibersek remains determined to destroy Southern Basin irrigation communities with her Water Amendment ( Restoring our Rivers ) Bill 2023 despite those communities demonstrating loudly and clearly that water buybacks are not a solution to her water accounting problem . Maintaining the socioeconomic neutrality criteria agreed by State and Federal ministers at the Basin Ministerial Council meeting on 14 December 2018 is essential . While on - farm efficiency projects in particular may be neutral or positive for participating individuals , collectively they result in negative community socioeconomic and water market impacts . Between the basin states and the federal government they hold 4600GL of environmental water . The basin plan requires just 2700GL plus an extra 450GL The 450GL currently requires a neutrality test which Federal Water Minister , Tanya Pibersek is trying to remove . They need to sort their own water accounting issues . The Productivity Commission's Interim Report into the Federal Water Ministers Murray Darling Basin Plan Amendment Bill very clearly states that , " The absence of a credible delivery pathway for the 450 GLY over the next four years - including catchment - specific Helen Dalton MP for Murray Authorised by Helen Dalton MP , Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements . Griffith 02 6962 6644 Deniliquin 03 5881 7034 500 targets - provides no certainty to Basin communities or water market participants , potentially undermining planning and investment decisions . The government risks being seen as just chasing a volumetric target " The Government must come clean on : 1. How many jobs will be lost and how much farm production will be slashed by removing all limits on water buybacks . 2. The impact of reduced farm production on Australians ' cost of living , and Australia's exports and balance of trade . 3. What environmental outcomes can be achieved given constraints on delivering purchased water . 4. When , if ever , alternative proposals to complete the Plan without buybacks ( provided to Government earlier this year ) will be assessed . 5. How the environmental outcomes of buybacks compare with options to directly invest in the health of the river , such as funding fish ladders , bank restoration or carp eradication . Helen Dalton MP for Murray Authorised by Helen Dalton MP , Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements . I Buronga 0475 683 288 murray@parliament.nsw.gov.au