Mayors fight buybacks

Representatives from across the Riverina and Murray regions backed a new community-led advocacy campaign aimed at highlighting the social, economic and environmental impacts of ongoing water recovery across the Murray-Darling Basin.

Endorsed by the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO), it will share the stories of local families, businesses, industries and communities through a series of short videos designed to raise awareness beyond regional Australia.

RAMJO said the need for this campaign has “never been more urgent”, and in part prompted by the loss of 78 jobs across the Deniliquin and Leeton SunRice facilities.

It said the job losses have “brought into sharp focus the real-world consequences that water recovery decisions can have on Basin communities”.

“These losses affect not only workers and their families, but also transport operators, contractors, small businesses, retailers, sporting clubs, schools and community organisations that depend on a strong regional economy,” a RAMJO statement reads.

“They reinforce concerns held by many basin communities that the cumulative effects of water buybacks are now being felt well beyond the farm gate, placing additional pressure on towns that have already contributed significantly to basin reform.”

RAMJO chair and Murrumbidgee Council Mayor Ruth McRae OAM said the Basin Plan review presented a critical opportunity to reshape water policy and restore confidence across regional Australia.

“Any future basin policy must balance environmental objectives with the long-term sustainability of regional communities, industries and food production," Cr McRae said.

“Basin communities deserve certainty, transparency and a genuine voice in decisions that shape their future.

“This is about more than water. It is about our communities' survival.”

The campaign has been developed in partnership with the Murray Darling Association and seeks to put faces and stories behind what many councils say has become an increasingly complex policy debate.

Regional leaders argue the discussion cannot focus solely on environmental outcomes, but must also consider the viability of the communities that depend on water to sustain agriculture, manufacturing, employment and local economies.

The united position adopted by councils across the Riverina and Murray region calls for an end to further recovery of productive water from Basin communities, greater certainty around future recovery measures, and improved transparency around existing Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism projects.

Councils are also calling for a review of environmental watering practices to ensure they are delivering measurable outcomes, stronger oversight of water trading, increased investment in town water supplies and critical infrastructure, and accelerated action against invasive carp and other biosecurity threats.

Edward River Mayor Ashley Hall said communities such as Deniliquin had already experienced significant impacts from water reform and future decisions must acknowledge those cumulative effects.

He warned that further water buybacks would risk undermining the economic and social foundations of regional communities.

“Our community and irrigation industries have already carried a substantial share of water recovery and reform,’ Cr Hall said.

“Future decisions must recognise what has already been removed, the efficiencies already achieved and the cumulative impact on communities such as Deniliquin.”

“Water is not simply a commodity in our region.

“It supports farms, food processing, transport businesses, local jobs, schools, sporting clubs and community services.

“When productive water leaves a district permanently, the economic activity and population it supports can leave with it.”

The advocacy campaign is expected to roll out in coming months, with community members, businesses and industries across the casin invited to share their experiences and concerns as debate around the future of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan continues.