The National Farmers’ Federation supports a request today by the Federal Agriculture & Water Resources Minister, David Littleproud for the Auditor General to investigate all Murray Darling Basin water buybacks carried out under successive governments since 2008.
NFF Chief Executive Tony Mahar said in fact, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) had already planned to investigate the issue.
“Minister Littleproud’s request will rightly serve to refine the scope of the investigation and to expedite the process, which is welcomed.”
Mr Mahar said the ANAO was the appropriate body to undertake the work given it was a statutory, independent body required to be systematic and transparent in its findings.
“We will always support steps to increase transparency and good governance, and if and when that governance is doubted, we support a review by an appropriate authority.”
Mr Mahar said the Productivity Commission’s five-year assessment of the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan had also flagged the need for an audit.
“Yet again recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s Report into the Implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan have proven to be informative, for example Recommendation 3.2 outlined below.”
“The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources should ensure that water recovery aligns with environmental requirements and its processes for doing so are transparent.
“To support accountability, it should commit to publishing all advice provided by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and the Murray Darling Basin Authority (including advice on strategic purchases) once transactions are complete in a Sustainable Diversion Limit resource unit.”
(See pages 36 and 103 of the Report here https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/basin-plan/report/basin-plan.pdf )
Mr Mahar said it was imperative that close attention was paid to the Productivity Commission’s detailed report and that its recommendations informed future inquiries of, and adjustments to, the Plan’s delivery platforms.
“The Plan was always intended to be dynamic. The review mechanisms are embedded in the enabling legislation, including the Productivity Commission’s five yearly report requirement.
“Farmers continue to look for the fair and just implementation of the Plan which ensures economic, socio economic (including regional community resilience) and environmental impacts are paramount.
“This is much more important than shrill debate during an election campaign. A medium and long term view is needed,” Mr Mahar said.
You may also like
New data shows farmers will walk away if worker access is further eroded
Farmers are warning they will change what they grow or even walk away from farming if their access to overseas workers is reduced, new data from the National Farmers’ Federation has revealed. A survey of farmers from...
NFF backs the government’s response to the APVMA review
The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the Federal Government’s well-considered response to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) review. NFF Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said it...
Farmers urged to consider their data security
The National Farmers’ Federation has warned the farm sector will be exposed to disruption unless farmers take an active interest in how their data is managed and secured. Speaking from the FutureAG conference in...
Add comment