The government has announced it will be extending its non-strategic water buybacks to meet its environmental targets for the Murray-Darling Basin.
But some regional stakeholders are pointing out that trying to push an increasing amount of flow down rivers such as the Goulburn River could actually damage the waterway.
The federal department tasked with buying up the water says it is acting on advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.
The state and Commonwealth water holders are the biggest single owners of water in Lake Eildon.
The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority has expressed disappointment with the buyback announcement, which will try to secure an extra 130Gl from the southern basin, because of the increased pressure on the Goulburn RIver and the challenges of the Murray River narrows at Barmah.
Goulburn Broken CMA chief executive Carl Walters said the authority had previously raised concerns about the inability to deliver the current volumes of water for the environment, through the Goulburn River in particular, without causing damage to the natural environment of the waterway.
“The assumption that the Goulburn River can be used as a ‘channel’ to meet the demands of the downstream system is flawed,” he said.
“As those responsible for representing the river and ensuring it continues to improve over time, we are extremely concerned.
“We cannot accept that the environment of the Goulburn River can be sacrificed to meet outcomes further downstream. This has been our consistent message for more than 12 months but seems to have not been heard outside Victoria.
“There is already enough water recovered from the Goulburn to meet local environmental objectives. More water purchase here will only increase pressure on this system.
“The Goulburn Broken CMA is committed to ensuring the health of the Goulburn River and to protecting for future generations the prosperity of our regional community that depends on it.”
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said the CMA’s concerns were serious and entirely justified.
“The Federal Government’s plan to expand non-strategic water buybacks in the southern Murray-Darling Basin — including an extra 130Gl from the southern connected system — risks doing real harm to irrigators and communities who depend on it,” he said.
“For years, local experts have been clear: the Goulburn River cannot continue to be treated as a delivery channel for downstream demands without environmental damage.
“The CMA has consistently warned that even current delivery volumes push the river beyond what is healthy.”
Mr Birrell said Victoria had already recovered the water needed to meet environmental objectives in this system.
“Any further buybacks here would not improve environmental outcomes — they would simply increase pressure on a river that is already overburdened, and they would hurt our region economically,” he said.
“We must protect the long-term health of the Goulburn River and safeguard the prosperity of the farmers, businesses and towns that rely on it.
“The Federal Government must listen to the science, respect the limits of the river, and stop pushing ahead with buybacks that threaten our region’s future.”
The federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told Country News the water purchases by the government were based on a value-for-money assessment that considered the environmental benefits that water offered for sale could deliver.
“Advice from both the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder supports buying water rights from the Goulburn catchment to help meet basin plan objectives both locally and regionally, especially as constraints are addressed over time,” the spokesperson said.
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