6 May 2018
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) is calling on the Federal Opposition to vote down the Greens’ Disallowance Motion on a key part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan due for debate in the Senate on Tuesday 8 May.
The Greens want to vote out the Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Adjustment Mechanism approved by the four Basin State Governments and the Commonwealth Government following an assessment by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority that would implement 605GL worth of projects by 2024 to achieve equivalent environmental outcomes using less water.
QFF President Stuart Armitage said the Greens’ actions once again left the Basin Plan hanging in the balance creating more uncertainty for farmers, irrigation reliant communities and the environment.
“In settling the Basin Plan, governments agreed that the recovery target could be amended in two ways: a review of Northern Basin SDLs and the SDL Adjustment Mechanism,” Mr Armitage said.
“Disappointingly, Labor Senators sided with the Greens back in February and voted to disallow the 3-year Northern Basin Review.”
“If the motion to disallow the SDL Adjustment Mechanism currently before the Senate is successful, it will not only wind back the achievements and undermine the sacrifices of the Basin Plan to date, but likely result in no Plan at all.”
“The Basin Plan has already secured 77% of the water it originally targeted for the environment, and the 36 proposed projects present no risk to the Plan’s environmental targets because in 2024 there is a full reconciliation.”
“By letting the Basin Plan fall apart now, which this motion if successful will surely do, politicians are showing contempt for the considerable sacrifices farmers and Basin communities have already made.”
“No one has got, nor will they get, exactly what they want from the Basin Plan. But it represents a workable way to achieve environmental outcomes while minimising the economic and social impacts on many Basin communities.”
“The Federal Opposition has the power to recognise the last six years of hard work by Basin communities, the states and successive Federal Governments by returning to a bi-partisan approach and voting down this reckless, politically-driven motion.”
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