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Slow fix for Murray-Darling
8 Aug 2007
The Coalition party room approved the Water Bill 2007 legislation yesterday and it is expected in federal parliament today. A transition plan means that state caps on water use will not come into effect immediately and water will continue to be taken from the Murray-Darling system at unsustainable levels for many more years. Caps will be enforced in 2024 for Victoria, 2019 for NSW, ACT and Queensland and 2015 in South Australia. While compulsory buybacks were ruled out by the government, irrigators could still be forced to accept a pro-rata cut in their water rights if other measures do not meet targets by these dates. Victoria will only receive $3 billion in funding for irrigation efficiency measures if it agrees to refer powers to the commonwealth.
Financial Review, 8/08/2007
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