Coalition pledges water licence buy back after report into Darling River fish kills

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/10/coalition-pledges-water-licence-buy-back-after-report-into-darling-river-fish-kills

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The federal government has committed to buy back “A class” water licenses issued under the controversial Barwon Darling water sharing plan, after an independent report into the fish kills recommended a major refinement of basin management.

The agriculture and water minister, David Littleproud, announced the buyback in response to the final recommendations contained in the government commissioned report by Professor Rob Vertessy into the fish kills over summer.

Vertessy’s report made 27 recommendations, which centre on greater transparency, compliance and monitoring of water with major reviews of management of the Barwon Darling and the Menindee Lakes.

He has accepted 10 recommendations and will work with state governments on others but both the report and the federal government commit to the Murray Darling Basin plan.

Littleproud has promised $70m of existing Murray Darling Basin funding for subsidies to upgrade irrigation meters to AS4747 standard and install live camera streams at strategic points along the rivers. It is unclear how much it will cost to buy back A class licenses.

This fish kill is a tragedy – but it is no surprise

The Vertessy report recommends better resourcing for specialist agencies to help understand how climate change threatens Basin water availability and aquatic ecosystems ahead of the 2026 Basin Plan review.

It also recommends the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, the MDBA, the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the NSW Department of Environmental and Heritage to undertake a risk assessment to determine how best to manage environmental water during prolonged dry spells, taking into account uncertainty in future inflows.

Vertessy and his expert panel has urged basin governments to consider changes to the operating procedures of Menindee Lakes, which was the centre of the major fish kill event this year.

Vertessy has also recommended the NSW and federal government “finalise arrangements to support structural adjustment of lower Darling farm enterprises with permanent/perennial crops that depend on high reliability water entitlements, including appropriately targeted strategic water acquisition and compensation for the reconfiguration of farm businesses”.

If followed, this recommendation would reclaim water from horticultural users in the lower Darling.

It recommended basin governments review and consider changes to the Menindee Lakes’ operating procedures to provide “greater drought resilience” in the lower Darling and a re-evaluation of the the Menindee Lakes Water Saving Project to place a greater emphasis on “improving water security and environmental outcomes in the lower Darling”.

Littleproud said the move to buyback A class licenses was a bid to protect low river flows but underlined the buybacks would only happen in consultation with the NSW government and the community.

Littleproud’s announcement came as hundreds of southern NSW irrigators drove trucks and tractors into the centre of Albury, calling on the government to “pause” the Murray Darling Basin plan.

Murray-Darling fish kill: authority shelved fish health strategy in 2013

The irrigators are also supporting independent candidate Kevin Mack against sitting Liberal MP Sussan Ley in Farrer at the federal election. After organisers initially refused to let Ley address the rally, she spoke to the crowd when presented with a petition.

The plan has been contentious since it was changed in 2012 under Nationals water minister Katrina Hodgkinson, to deliver additional water to A class license holders in the Barwon Darling system.

“In preparing future Water Resource Plans for catchments in the northern Basin, QLD and NSW should ensure that they give greater attention to the need to maintain hydrologic connectivity in the Barwon–Darling River,” the report recommends.

The report recommends calls on NSW and Queensland to “adopt an active event-based management approach to providing flows through the Barwon–Darling system.

“Flow management strategies should be implemented as soon as possible to protect first flushes, protect low flows, shepherd environmental releases, enhance system connectivity, and improve water quality,” the report says.

Littleproud said the government’s $70m-plus response goes to research, connectivity and compliance and he committed to work with NSW to have additional water allocated to indigenous communities.

He said $10m would help restock rivers and lakes with native fish species across the basin and establish new hatcheries in the northern basin to kick start fish recovery in line with the report.

“We’ve listened to the scientists. I acknowledge the rigour and independence of the panel’s assessment of recent fish deaths in the lower Darling,” he said.

“I think all Australians who saw footage of these fish deaths were deeply saddened.

“The federal government accepts and will address each recommendation made to it, and will work with states on others.”