Dear Ministers,
The Basin Plan is critical to sustaining the Murray floodplain and bringing 140 Victorian threatened species back from the brink of extinction. These plants and animals depend on freshwater flows for survival. We must set aside more water for rivers and let it flow to the wetlands that need it. This is required under both Commonwealth and State law, as well as our international obligations under several treaties to which Australia is a signatory.
The Victorian government’s recent commitment to join every other Basin government to deliver the Basin Plan is a necessary first step. But years of delays have reduced the environmental outcomes the Plan could have achieved and left Basin communities facing deeper uncertainty.
If the Victorian government is serious about giving wetlands the water they need, then we need to see real action to set right years of delay.
1. Let the water flow across the floodplain.
We have not seen the full benefit of water set aside for the environment because the Victorian government has not taken steps to let it flow across the low-lying floodplain. These flows would support some of the world’s most important wetlands and sustain habitat for Victoria’s listed threatened species. We need to see a workable pathway toward more-natural flows this year: with clear timelines and pilot projects underway before Basin Plan deadlines.
2. Compare wetland engineering projects against more natural flows.
The Victorian government has long-promoted re-engineering wetlands to survive in an altered form with less water. One project was recently knocked back because it failed to demonstrate benefits while proposing to cut down or drown hundreds of old trees. We need to see independent, peer-reviewed research showing if water engineering proposals deliver benefits compared to additional water recovery and more natural flows.
3. Commit to a higher standard of evidence when assessing the economic impact of water recovery.
Fears about the impacts of water buybacks are based on poor-quality economic studies by political consultancies. A recent review for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority described these studies, many commissioned by the Victorian government, as ‘unreliable to be used for policy advice’. We need to see independent research that genuinely addresses the actual drivers of regional economic trends. It must be balanced, take into account economic benefits as well as costs, and follow best practice among academic peer-reviewed literature.
4. Deliver value for money.
The Victorian government has repeatedly promoted water saving infrastructure as an alternative to straightforward water purchases. These projects are slow to implement and at least 2.5 times more expensive. Their actual savings haven’t been reasonably measured — and if they’re as low as some studies suggest, these projects could be 25 times more expensive. The government should publish an independent audit of water recovery – by recognised academic experts – before proposing any alternatives to straightforward water purchases.
5. Care for the 140 Victorian threatened species that depend on the Murray-Darling.
Fish, frogs and waterbirds need real water returned to the rivers and wetlands where they live. The government must properly consider the impact on threatened species and environments when making decisions that affect the Murray-Darling, as required by Victoria’s biodiversity laws.
Sincerely,
[Your name and postcode will go here!]