The federal government wants to buy back water entitlements from farmers in the southern Murray Darling Basin to keep more water in the country's largest river network and boost the environment.
Federal Water and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the government will go to tender in the week beginning July 15, seeking rights to up to 70 gigalitres of water from farmers willing to sell their water entitlement back to the Commonwealth. Depending on how much rain has fallen over a catchment, farmers can use their entitlements to draw water from the rivers and channels. Once an entitlement is transferred to the Commonwealth, the farmer loses their right to extract that water.
Farmers in the Murray Darling can use their entitlements to draw water from the rivers. But once those entitlements are transferred to the Commonwealth, they cannot be used for farming again.Since 2009, more than 2,100 gigalitres of water each year has been allocated to the environment across the basin, most of it through farming, including buybacks and irrigation upgrades.The Murray is an invaluable resource on this dry continent, but many are worried about how healthy the river is.
"We're soon opening tenders for the voluntary purchase of up to 70 gigalitres of water from willing sellers in parts of the southern Basin, supported by a water trading strategy released today," her statement said.