GOOD news and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan are often associated with the other in the MIA.
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However, stakeholders from across the country believe a recent endorsement by state water ministers will bring positives for the region.
The ministers met recently to give the last tick of approval to the final package of Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) adjustment mechanism projects.
While it sounds like a mouth full, Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia president Jeremy Morton said it was an important step in delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“"The agreement between Murray-Darling Basin water ministers to endorse the final package of SDL adjustment mechanism projects is welcome news,” he said.
Preliminary advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) indicates the package is likely to achieve an SDL offset in excess of 600 gigalitres.
There is also a high level of certainty the SDL adjustment mechanism outcome, combined with remaining contracted water recovery projects, will fully offset the remaining water recovery “gap”.
"This advice from the MDBA is also encouraging and indicates there is no requirement for further productive water recovery," Mr Morton said.
The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) was also on board with the decision and said it was now possible to deliver the basin plan with no more buybacks in the Southern basin and a reduced recovery target in the Northern Basin.
NIC chief executive officer Steve Whan said the ministers had appeared to achieve something that “looked very difficult a year ago”.
“Most importantly this decision gives irrigators and irrigation communities confidence and some certainty they will not be asked to give up more productive water to meet the rest of the 2750 gigalitre target,” he said.
“That was the clear alternative and it was an unacceptable alternative.
“There is still a lot of work to do to see a Basin Plan finally implemented that will achieve the triple-bottom-line outcome irrigators have always advocated.”