Opinion - Denis Tinkler, RGA Member

It's not only the Basin Plan

In the perplexing water management debate in the Southern Connected Basin (SCB) discussion often ends with “well it is really complicated”.  This is my attempt to explain some of the complications.

 

Water policy and management has been subject to constant change over the last 30 years and the present dire situation is the culmination of all of those changes.  The Murray Darling Basin Plan is not the major cause of the current lack of water for irrigation, but its lack of flexibility does deepen the problem.

 

When Sussan Ley stated recently that “the rules haven’t changed since 1972” she failed to recognise there is more to water policy than the interstate water sharing rules.  When David Littleproud stated that “the Basin Plan will be delivered in full and on time” he failed to recognise that sometimes the law is an ass.

 

Our current anger is well placed but not well targeted.  To find a solution we must first determine the true causes and they are complex. They are not simply the Basin Plan.

A quick list of causes includes, but is not limited to:

 

•        Extra dilution flows to SA

•        Irrigation development throughout the basin since 1970

•        Water trading

•        Water carryover

•        Snowy Hydro corporatisation and rule changes

•        Living Murray removal of 489 GL

•        Barmah Millewa allocation

•        Return of Snowy River water

•        Millenium Drought – new low inflow base

•        Over extraction in the Northern Basin

•        Basin Plan buy backs etc.

•        NSW Water Sharing Plans which embedded reduced allocations, albeit for some increase in security

 

All of these have led to a new mind set for not only the authorities but also irrigators. There is now a stronger desire for water security; and more security always means less yield.

 

The evolution of water policy change means that owners of Victorian Low Reliability Water Shares (LRWS) and NSW General Security (NSW GS) allocations are carrying almost the entire burden.  The real danger is that this burden is to be set in stone as the Basin Plan unfolds, particularly the Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDL) that now replace the Cap accounting.

 

The Murray Darling Cap on Diversions (the Cap) was set at 1993/94 levels of extractions. Since 2009 the SCB has underused by around 1000GL annually for a total 8,000,000 ML.  One reason is a change in usage patterns and the greatest of these is more carryover.  Increased carryover is a result of irrigators acting sensibly, seeking more security and so irrigators themselves are a major cause of the present situation.

 

Another reason is that water that is not allocated cannot be diverted.  Over this period there has been an increasingly mean spirit towards irrigation allocations by state authorities.

 

We must then look at the other side of the ledger. If irrigators are not using this water, where is it?  Initially it sits in the dams, we see it there and think it will be allocated to us.  But it is already owned by someone, if they chose to then carry it forward they also risk losing it.  In this new scenario more water spills. It flows downstream to the benefit of the environment, especially SA.

 

Adding to the uncertainty is the erratic nature of Snowy Hydro releases. The once clearly defined annual releases of 1062 GL to the Murray and 1026 GL to the ‘Bidgee are now much more variable. Releases can be at a time when the water is lost to regulation and the resource pool. This is also to the benefit of the downstream environment.

 

The effect of new minimum inflows in 2006 is yet another factor.  The raw numbers do call for a more conservative approach setting reserves aside, but it appears that these reserves are being regularly exceeded by the authorities. The deepening concerns in the northern basin appear to be strengthening this attitude.

 

Concerns that the water market is driving water scarcity is putting the horse before the cart.  It is water scarcity that drives the market. That scarcity has is driven by weather, state attitude to water allocation, usage patterns and removal of productive water.

A Way Forward

The present situation cannot be allowed to go on.  The environment and SA are double dipping, perhaps even triple dipping. The MDBA’s Cap accounting shows 1000 GL is flowing downstream annually in addition to Basin Plan recovery of water. The environment is taking 600 GL downstream of the Barmah Choke that for 50 years was diverted onto crops and pastures upstream.  The associated losses in delivering that water up to 1000 extra river kms are then being worn by LRWS and GS irrigators; this is intolerable.

 

The large irrigation communities of northern Victoria and southern NSW have been sacrificed at the altar of the green movement. This has happened using erroneous science to justify a fresh water solution for the lower lakes; an equally intolerable situation.

 

It must also be said that the change in water use pattern is most likely here to stay. It therefore follows that without a change to water allocation policy, the under usage is firmly embedded.  Even increased allocations would most likely see a 30% or more carryover factor, meaning that authorities can be safe that “over-allocation” is unlikely to result in over-diversion.

 

There is also a well justified concern in irrigation communities that water accounting processes and procedures leave much to be desired. This is a major reason for the inordinately high loss allowance for this season. It is a work in progress, but it is not acceptable that one sector of the irrigation community is suffering the consequences.

 

The real danger now is that the under diversion shown in Cap accounting is to be perpetuated in the new SDL rules. Action must happen immediately to avoid this injustice to irrigation communities in southern NSW and northern Victoria.

Governments Must Act

The Basin water ministers must recognise the imbalance and injustice in present water distribution policy. Ministers Neville, Pavey and Littleproud must stand up for common sense. The damage to northern Victoria and southern NSW irrigation communities must stop.

 

The first step for these 3 ministers is to recognise and publicly acknowledge the cause and extent of this problem. This needs to happen immediately to give some heart to these communities.

 

Their next step is to claw back some of the water for the upstream communities. The SA dilution flow is not needed there, it is double dipping. Its original intent was a justifiable water quality need.  That no longer exists. This could allow up to 400 GL for productive use this season. Perhaps a similar amount could be found by apportioning river losses upstream of SA to the environmental reserves; the environment is the major beneficiary of the additional losses.

 

Equally important is that state ministers be able to instruct their departments to prioritise irrigation allocations; it appears the reverse is the case today. The concern is that state water managers do not understand these problems and are therefore unable to report adequately to their ministers.

 

These actions will give short term relief and set a must needed precedent. They must be followed by positive action regarding the new SDLs. The new Water Sharing Plans must not perpetuate the current situation. This is critical for the future of our communities.

 

The longer term must see a new Basin Plan 2.0.  The existing Plan is so flawed it cannot stand, but the Basin must have a plan. A proper rule of law must evolve from the present dire scenario.

 

Basin Plan 1.0 has been a fresh water solution for the lower lakes; a fundamentally flawed plan. Plan 2.0 must be a return to the natural estuarine lower lakes, the Basin Plan we should always have had.