Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s promise to deliver South Australia’s fair share of water under the Murray Darling Basin Plan is welcomed, however will only be delivered if buybacks are restored, the Greens have said today.
This scheme is critical to restoring water flows to the river and delivering 450GL to South Australia, and the Greens will be needed in the Senate to secure it.
“Mr Albanese’s promise to deliver South Australia’s fair share of water is welcome, but will only happen if we can secure buybacks, and that will require a Green vote in the Senate,” Greens spokesperson for environment and water, Sarah Hanson-Young said today.
“The 450GL promised to SA cannot be delivered without restoring voluntary water buybacks. This is critical to ensuring the longevity of the Murray and those who rely on it. In Senate balance of power, the Greens will push to ensure this is included in Labor’s plan.
“As we head into an election, we must think about who we want in control of our Murray. South Australians have been left behind by the Morrison-Joyce Government. We need representatives who will put the people and environment of South Australia first.
“It is clear the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s cannot be trusted with water governance – we have seen our rivers suffer and corporate interests get rich at the expense of everyone else. The recent appointments of their ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s mates and fossil fuel lobbyists onto Murray-Darling Basin review panels show that this is not going to change anytime soon.
“If we are to ensure the survival of one of South Australia’s most important rivers, and delivery of fresh water to South Australians, we need proper, independent governance without the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s interference.
South Australian Greens Senate candidate Barbara Pocock said “This is why the South Australian Senate race is so important. We need two strong voices for the Murray to stand up to the greedy ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s upstream to restore the health of the river.”
