Setting a 1500 GL/year buyback cap in legislation will provide much needed certainty to river communities and irrigation industries while driving greater innovation in achieving water efficiencies.
Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston today welcomed the Government’s announcement that it would legislate a cap on buybacks.
"Every drop of water contributed by South Australia to water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin has come from irrigators and river communities," Senator Ruston said. "There has always been concern about just how much more they would be asked to sacrifice.
"This announcement gives us a lot more certainty. The Coalition is delivering on its commitment to take a balanced, triple bottom line approach to water reform in the Basin."
Senator Ruston said a legislated cap on buybacks would result in a greater emphasis on water efficiency.
"We still have a lot of water to recover to meet the 2750 GL/year target in the Basin Plan," she said. "With a cap on buybacks, the focus will shift to being innovative with how we deliver water, and how we use it, to maximise efficiency and ensure our river communities can thrive in a sustainable manner.
"South Australian river communities have been pioneering leaders in irrigation efficiency for decades and continue to show the way."
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