The director of Charles Sturt University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society has welcomed the Prime Minister’s plan for a $10 billion water reform for the Murray Darling Basin describing it as a “bold initiative.”

 

“Howard’s plan attempts to cut through the major restraints to water reform and deliver more efficient irrigation, and additional water for the environment,” says Prof Allan Curtis who heads a national research institute with a focus on social and environmental sustainability in rural and regional areas, particularly in the Murray Darling Basin.

 

He predicts that the proposal that the Federal Government buy water from irrigators, while it would increase the pace of water recovery, would also increase the price of water, something he sees as an additional benefit.

 

“The Federal Government has embraced the purchase of water from irrigators as a legitimate strategy to deliver water reform objectives,” says Prof Curtis. “Previously water could only be returned to the environment where investment had delivered water savings. The direct purchase of water should increase the pace of water recovery. It will have the additional benefit of increasing the price of water and thereby enhancing the prospect that irrigators will invest in water saving technology.”

 

As a consequence he foresees water moving to higher value products.

 

“These changes are likely to speed up the process of structural adjustments within the agricultural industry,” says Prof Curtis. “For example, irrigated dairy production may become unprofitable in some areas which would have flow-on effects to communities dependent on that industry.”

 

Other elements in Howard’s 10 point plan for a Commonwealth takeover of Australia’s biggest river system include taking control away from the States; funding to upgrade supply infrastructure; a bypass of the Barmah choke; and increased funds for existing water reform programs.

 

“Additional funding has been made conditional on the states relinquishing their rights to manage water as a way of overcoming the complex governance arrangements that have strangled reform efforts,” says Prof Curtis. “There have been simply too many players with different agendas to get significant change.”

 

Prof Curtis says up to 30% of all water for irrigation is lost through leaks, seepage, over-watering, evaporation and the use of water delivery technology (dethridge wheel) that delivers 10 to 15% more water that the new automated flume gates suggest irrigators are entitled to receive.

 

“The substantial lift in funding being offered will enable supply infrastructure to be upgraded and ‘save’ substantial amounts of water currently lost or oversupplied,” says Prof Curtis.

 

In regards to the proposal to invest in new channels to overcome the supply restriction at the Barmah choke in the Barmah-Millewa Forest, Prof Curtis says there needs to be a careful analysis of the costs and benefits of the proposal.

 

“This may be a political move in that it will be popular with the irrigators but it is likely to be expensive and impact on a national environmental icon,” says Prof Curtis.

 

“It could also lead to a proliferation of new irrigation districts, and as such work against efforts to contain new districts, and efforts to achieve more efficient use of irrigation water.”

 

Regarding increased funds for programs such as the National Water Initiative and Water for Rivers, Prof Curtis says increased funds are needed to allow these programs to achieve their targets for water savings.