Irrigators Slam Ministers’ Political Smokescreen Over Murray-Darling Basin Plan

IAN ROGERS

Irrigators have criticized Minister Tanya Plibersek’s announcement of “1,000 willing sellers” for the Commonwealth’s water buyback tender under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, labeling it a political stunt timed to coincide with Senate Estimates.

Zara Lowien, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council, dismissed the announcement as misleading, citing historical issues with buyback tenders.

“The last time Minister Plibersek claimed a tender was oversubscribed, the Government later rejected 72% of offers, contracting just a fraction—26 GL out of 90 GL—due to valuefor-money concerns,” said Ms. Lowien.

“Having 1,000 willing sellers is irrelevant if procurement guidelines prevent the Government from proceeding with those purchases. This announcement is just another political smokescreen to infate the perception of progress on the Basin Plan,” she added.

A Lack of Tangible Progress

A review of Federal fnancial funding agreements revealed limited progress on Basin Plan projects.

Only one Resilient Rivers Program initiative, advanced prior to last year’s Basin Plan amendments, and the Reconnecting River Country constraints project have been contracted.

“The government’s messaging doesn’t match their actions,” Ms. Lowien said.

“It’s been nearly 12 months since the Restoring Our Rivers Bill became law, yet there is little evidence of genuine progress.

Announcements don’t equal contracts, and media claims won’t deliver outcomes.”

Ms. Lowien also highlighted the absence of new contracts for key programs like the Resilient Rivers Program and the Basin Communities Fund. Both programs are central to the government’s framework to fulfll promises that buybacks would not be the sole tool used and that communities would not be left behind.

Calls for Transparency

“We urge the Minister to stop issuing political smokescreens and instead provide real transparency on progress toward the Murray-Darling Basin Plan,” Ms. Lowien said.

Last year’s amendments to the Basin Plan included commitments for greater accountability through annual reporting to Parliament—reports that are yet to materialize.

“We’ve consistently warned governments not to waste the timeline extension,” Ms. Lowien emphasized. “Everyone in the Basin deserves better than misleading statements. What we need are regular, honest, and accurate updates on how the government’s programs are tracking.”

Conclusion

Ms. Lowien’s remarks underscore growing frustration among irrigators and Basin communities over the perceived gap between government announcements and actual progress on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. As deadlines loom, transparency and action remain critical to ensuring the Plan delivers its intended outcomes without leaving affected communities behind.