The Murray Regional Strategy Group says amendments are needed to the draft proposal, and should not be signed by the NSW government until more work is done.
Among issues raised there have been recent concerns, including from the Inspector-General of Water Compliance about a conflict, with the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water being a significant participant in the nation’s multi-billion dollar annual water market, while also being responsible for setting policy and forming rules, including through the NWA.
With the conflict issue raised, NSW Farmers has called for an immediate freeze on Murray-Darling Basin water buybacks, while the National Irrigators Council has called on state governments to “stand up against the federal government’s poor processes”.
NSW Irrigators wants no commitment to the NWA from the NSW Government until legislative and cost ramifications are explored.
This call has been supported by MRSG, which says in its current state the NWA draft is a step backwards from the 2004 National Water Initiative.
MRSG executive officer Shelley Scoullar said the draft “seriously lacks co-design principles that are critical to any type of reform”.
Mrs Scoullar said the NSW Government must conduct its own investigations into the legislative and financial ramifications of signing the NWA in its current form, saying MRSG believes NSW “will be left to pay an unnecessary burden of delivering unrealistic expectations”.
“In its current form the NWA poses significant risks to the property rights of New South Wales water users and owners and undermines the principles of the 2004 National Water Initiative, which is only 20 years old.
“The 2004 NWI was developed through genuine consultation with stakeholders, and those with local knowledge and understanding, resulting in a fit for purpose water reform with the aim of balancing environmental, social and productive needs.
“The last two decades has seen both ends of the scale - devastating droughts and record flooding - and on top of that there have been the imposed changes as a result of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“By agreeing to the NWA in its current state, the New South Wales Government risks reducing the reliability of productive water even more, with the costs of further reductions being passed on to food producers.”
Mrs Scoullar said MRSG calls on the NSW Government to fully understand the ramifications of the proposed principles of the NWA, and to prioritise the interests of people in NSW.
This can be achieved by first working collaboratively with local knowledge and experience to bring about changes to the draft proposal, she said.
“MRSG, like other organisations in NSW, will be keen to work with NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson to highlight flaws in the draft and work towards achieving a document which better meets the needs of the state’s water users,” Mrs Scoullar said.
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