The council is part of the Murray River Group, comprising Greater Shepparton, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Swan Hill and Mildura councils, which has launched its #PushbackBuybacks campaign.
The move aims to stop the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023 from becoming law.
Moira Shire Council and the members of the Murray River Group of Councils have also invited the Senate crossbenchers David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe, Jacquie Lambie and David Van to visit the regions along the Murray River and see first-hand the importance of water to maintaining the economic survival of river communities.
Moira Shire Council panel of administrators chair John Tanner said council didn’t want to see a repeat of previous mistakes.
“We saw the damage caused through loss of production and job losses that resulted from the buybacks approximately 15 years ago. We do not want to see a repeat of those times and their devastating impacts,” he said.
Council administrators have said they understand water management plans are of top priority to residents and have promised to push for a revised plan that is fairer for local communities.
There are fears that the reintroduction of water buybacks will increase water prices, threaten the water supply in the lead-up to a dry season, reduce production and, therefore, the food supply, and continue to put further cost-of-living pressure on Australians.
Administrator Graeme Emonson said it was incredibly disappointing that the Federal Government was returning to water buybacks.
“There are so many other water recovery methods that could still be used to achieve the environmental outcomes. Victoria has a strong track record of successfully developing and working on significant environmental projects,” Mr Emonson said.
Moira Shire Council has submitted an official response to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications regarding the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023, asking the Senate to consider Moira’s position in contributing to the implementation of the basin plan.
Murray Group chair Cr Rob Amos said the bill proposed changes to the basin plan that would reinstate water buybacks from farmers, putting livelihoods and communities at risk and adding to cost-of-living pressures on Australian households.
“Extensive research and our collective experience tell us that water buybacks have dire socio-economic consequences,” Cr Amos said.
“Last time, they caused the loss of 1600 jobs, the closure of a milk factory and increased farming risk across our region.
“Our communities are only just getting back on their feet after the pandemic, fires and floods. The reintroduction of water buybacks would seal the fate of our vulnerable agricultural industries and further decimate our fragile regional communities.”
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