THE LACK of action by the federal government over addressing concerns raised with its Murray Darling Basin Plan by NSW communities could derail its entire basin strategy.
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According to Member for Dubbo Troy Grant, the government continues to falsely claim it has reached a consensus position with NSW.
"This could not be further from the truth," Mr Grant said.
Mr Grant said the announcement by Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson made it clear the NSW government would not agree to the Basin Plan without substantial changes being made.
"I cannot understand how the Commonwealth honestly expects basin communities to surrender 3200 gigalitres (GL) in environmental water when the Murray Darling Basin authority [MDBA] cannot deliver upon its existing environmental water holdings," he said.
The NSW submission called for limited buybacks to allow communities time to adjust with greater emphasis upon infrastructure and better use of available water to achieve environmental outcomes.
"Our sensible suggestion for future buybacks to be limited to three per cent of entitlement per valley per decade should not be ignored," Mr Grant said.
"The Dubbo electorate won't be a party to a deeply flawed basin plan failing to provide communities with sufficient water entitlements to sustain their future."
