David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Hansard source

This bill is proposing some sensible amendments to the Water Act to cut buybacks from farmers to 1500 gigalitres, and I support that. However, I have moved two amendments which I think I should explain once again for the benefit of the chamber.

The first amendment will counter water hoarding by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. As the law currently stands, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is required to hold and store water even when environmental watering plans have been fully utilised. My amendment removes the ban on selling water that is excess to environmental needs by removing a requirement to retain water if it can be stored for a future accounting period.

This idea, I believe, is supported by the National Party—certainly by the Victorian National's leader, Mr Peter Walsh, former water minister in Victoria. I do not see why it should not be supported at least by the Nationals in this place.

The second amendment that I am proposing increases the total water that can be used by farmers in the basin by around one per cent. This is a modest change that will benefit farmers and not threaten the environment. The increased water for farmers is achieved by reducing water use reduction targets listed in the Basin Plan.

The government argues these sorts of amendments will fall out of their current review process, and we should not proceed with them now. Quite frankly, I think that amounts to the government saying, 'We want our name on these measures, not your name, Senator Leyonhjelm.' I do not accept that. We have a responsibility in this parliament to promptly amend Commonwealth law when a clearly beneficial change is before us. We should not delay in the hope that bureaucratic committee processes will come up with something sensible in a timely way.

These amendments do not threaten environmental outcomes, and additional water will also be available to farmers who wish to purchase it at a reasonable price. They will improve the Basin Plan and deliver practical benefits to basin communities and the environment. It will also send a signal to the basin communities that we, in this place, feel their pain and are not indifferent to their trials.

The inquiry I am chairing will recommend more substantial reform but, in the interim, these measured and modest amendments signal a resolve to improve outcomes and reduce the uncertainty of necessary water reforms. I do intend to call a division on these amendments.