“Labor is still all at sea on the Murray-Darling Basin” Senator Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water said today.
Minister Burke has today announced another $300 million in buybacks mainly in the southern basin and southern Queensland.
“Instead of taking on board the vast amount of feedback from people across the basin, Mr Burke has again chosen to rush water buybacks ahead of investments in water savings efficiencies, which would delivery water for the environment and communities.
“Every year Labor has been in government they have spent more than planned on water buybacks and less than planned on infrastructure investments. After three years in government, Labor is $700 million ahead on buybacks but $350 million behind on infrastructure.
“This trend will continue, because in MYEFO last week Labor revealed that it has bought forward a further $250 million in buybacks but deferred $450 million in infrastructure funding. (MYEFO 2010-11, p. 218)
“Mr Burke has said that water will only be bought from willing sellers and yet many people have told me at Basin Plan community meetings said that they have offered water only to be rejected by the Government.
“I call on Mr Burke to ensure that these latest buybacks are more strategic and coordinated than Labor’s ad hoc approach thus far:
· Labor spent $23.75 million on Toorale Station without even inspecting it, and its water doesn’t even flow into the Darling River
· Labor spent $300 million to purchase water from the Twynam Agricultural Group, which decimated the town of Collarenebri
· The Department of Water’s latest annual report recently revealed that these poorly coordinated investments have already cost Australian taxpayers $100 million in write down and impairment losses (DEWHA, Annual Report 2009-10, p. 359)
“Like everything Labor does, Labor has botched the Basin Plan. How can we trust a government that can’t install insulation without burning down 190 homes, to re-engineer the way we feed ourselves?”