The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement that it will introduce legislation to cap water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) at 1500 gigalitres (GL).
The 1500GL cap provides dairy farmers in the Murray-Darling Basin with much-needed certainty about future water availability to sustain their business.
At the same time, environmental water can continue to be recovered through water-saving infrastructure projects.
ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the Government’s announcement gives farmers and processors in the Basin, where more than 25 per cent of Australia’s milk is produced, the confidence to continue dairying.
“Almost 2000 dairy farms and 16 major milk processing factories are located in the Basin, with more than 12,000 people in the region whom rely on the industry for their livelihood,” Mr Campbell said.
“With 97 per cent of those farms relying on irrigation for pasture and feed production, capping buybacks at 1500 GL gives farmers assurance that they will be able to continue adapting their practices to produce more milk with less water.”
Dairy farmers in the Basin have proved flexible and responsible users of water in the past, steadily adapting their practices over the last 20 years to meet their limited access to water. At the same time, they have actively participated in programs to return more water to the environment and increase water infrastructure efficiency on and off-farm.
Mr Campbell said a clear plan is now required to legislate the cap, confirm the extended period for buybacks, and the delivery of 600GL in infrastructure works and 650GL in environmental works.
“This is the triple-bottom line approach we have sought from the beginning, and we urge all parties to support this outcome.”