14th Nov 2019, 12:44 PM – Senate Motions - Murray-Darling Basin - Water licence holders

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts (One Nation), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) areas of the Murray-Darling Basin are experiencing a water crisis,

(ii) water trading rules have allowed speculators to hold temporary irrigation water from the market which has forced the price so high that only large commercial farms can afford to purchase water for a narrow range of crops,

(iii) in times of drought, irrigated farms provide a lifeline for native fauna, and

(iv) the Bureau of Meteorology '18 month rainfall deficiency' indicates areas that are affected by drought; and

(b) calls on the Minister for Water Resources, (Mr Littleproud) to amend the legislative instrument, 'Basin Plan 2012', pursuant to Schedule 3(4)(7) of the Water Act 2007, as follows:

(i) a temporary water licence (allocation trade) must not be completed unless the purchaser can show that the water will be used for agricultural purposes as determined by the Irrigation Infrastructure Operator,

(ii) an entity cannot be both a buyer and a seller of temporary water in any 12 month period,

(iii) temporary water must be used within a year of purchase,

(iv) inter-valley transfers cannot occur out of a region in drought,

(v) government entities are prevented from accessing the temporary water trading market,

(vi) water metering capability by a purchaser is not to be used to prevent a temporary water trade, and

(vii) these measures will commence on 1 January 2020 and remain in place until the drought ends.