The report found that across 27 indicators used to measure the effectiveness of the basin plan, 74 per cent showed no improvement or a decline in conditions.
And while the report challenges strong opinions that the way the plan is being implemented is harming the productive and socio-economic fabric of basin communities, it does concede the findings indicate “poor Indigenous, environmental and social outcomes since the Basin Plan commenced in 2012-13 and beforehand”.
Shadow Federal Water Minister Perin Davey said the cited failure of the $13 billion, 15-year investment into the Murray-Darling Basin confirms that “the insanity has to stop”.
“Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result and that is what we have been doing in water reform since the late 1980’s,” Senator Davey said.
“The Wentworth Group points out that for over three decades governments have been reducing access to water in the Basin for productive use but says the massive taxpayer investment has not delivered the promised benefits.
“That tells me that it is time we took a different approach.
“Instead of focusing on water recovery as we have done since the turn of the century, we should focus on system management.
“For example, we know in the Darling-Baaka we have seen fish deaths following both record low and record high flows so the problem can’t be just volume.
“We also have reports going back 40 years identifying the lack of fish passage in the Darling-Baaka, yet this has never been addressed.”
The Wentworth Group report suggests a “more ambitious target for restoration of wetland ecosystem functions and biodiversity that goes beyond ‘just add water’ would include addressing the impacts of those drivers of ecological change other than alterations in flow regimes”.
It says there is an opportunity to address this when the basin plan review takes place next year.
Senator Davey pointed to the failure of any progress on constraints management as to the reason why the scientists found a lack of floodplain connection with 79 percent of environmental water releases remaining within channel.
“This is a classic case of the perfect getting in the way of the good,” Senator Davey said.
“The models say you need a certain flow at a certain point, but the community says that is too high and the consequences too great.
“So instead of negotiating a liveable volume and considering associated engineering or management works to get some environmental benefit, we have a standoff which is not working for anyone.”
While the report highlights failures in the expected outcomes of the Basin Plan, Senator Davey acknowledged there has been some success.
“They have successfully transferred ownership of over 2100GL water under the Basin Plan which, when combined with previous water recovery programs, gives governments around 4000GL volume to use,” Senator Davey said.
“They have successfully kept the Lower Lakes and Coorong connected since 2012 and there have been some really positive fish and bird breeding events from environmental watering.”
Senator Davey, however, agreed with the scientists’ assertions that clear targets need to be set and quality longitudinal monitoring should be reinstated.
“The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is effectively the largest irrigator in the basin, yet unlike farmers who measure and meter water use and crop yield, they don’t report against any clearly defined benchmark.”
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