Regional Queensland communities and councils are at an uneasy standstill as they await final decisions around the Murray Darling Basin Plan review.
The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) - the independent body tasked with preparing, implementing and reviewing an integrated plan for the Basin's water resources - will be presenting its final recommendations of the review to the Federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce in six weeks time.
For the community of Balonne, says Balonne Deputy Mayor Fiona Gaske, a resolution can’t come fast enough.
“Our community needs to move forward, so while in one sense it's encouraging to know that the wheels have been put in motion, I feel that it's a double-edged sword. We still don't know what the remaining recovery will look like in terms of the potential for further buy backs," Ms Gaske said.
"This recommendation still has a way to go to complete its parliamentary journey – it’s the uncertainty of not knowing exactly where we stand that affects business confidence and the future of the community.
"It is essential that discussions from here on include options for structural adjustment so that we can indeed take the steps needed to focus on future sustainability."
Whilst the MDBA was formed 10 years ago (following the enactment of the Water Act 2007), the Murray Darling Basin Plan is relatively new; the initial plan was signed off in 2012. With the goal of securing the long-term ecological health of the Murray-Darling Basin, the plan aimed to return a total of 2,750 gigalitres of water to the Murray Darling Basin by cutting water entitlements through a voluntary buy back scheme. In 2016, the MDBA recommended a 70 billion litre cut to this original amount it had planned to take from agriculture.
Whilst the cut may be a small reprieve, for the town of Balonne the scheme has still meant a reduction in cotton production of 40,000 bales; a loss of around $20 million in revenue.
"If you look at the sacrifice this community has made, we have done more than our share of heavy lifting," Ms Gaske said to the ABC late last year.
"It's the environmental outcomes which seem to be taking priority, and I understand that, but we need to find an alternative to buybacks."
In its submission to the Murray Darling Basin Plan Review the LGAQ recognised the importance of the plan but said the lack of transition planning and support was damaging regional communities.
“While the Murray-Darling Basin plan is a collective attempt by federal and state governments to manage water resources better, the implementation of the plan is having dire consequences for several Queensland communities."
“The existing approach to achieving environmental outcomes, primarily through the water buyback scheme, has largely failed to adequately anticipate, monitor and manage impacts on local communities,” the submission said.
Arron Hieatt, LGAQ senior advisor for water services and infrastructure said working with key policy makers in state and federal government was a key priority for the LGAQ to assist communities who have been left to transition in an abbreviated time frame with little support.
“The LGAQ has become involved in the discussion because policies that directly impact regional communities affect the councils that support them,” Mr Hieatt said.
“What has been clear about the water buyback scheme and implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is that there was not enough consideration about the impact to our communities.
“We look forward to working with our partners in the state and federal governments to ensure there is adequate support for communities like Dirranbandi and St George to adjust to the new water arrangements.
“The recommendation by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority acknowledges the impacts to date, and we urge Minister Lynham and Deputy Prime Minister Joyce to act quickly on this recommendation to bring certainty to councils.”
Late last year the Minister for State Development, Natural Resources and Mines, Dr Anthony Lynham called on the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to tell Queensland farmers how he planned to hit new water use targets for 2019.
“Queensland farmers need to know how Mr Joyce will support them and their communities as they do their bit to protect the Murray-Darling,” Dr Lynham said.
“Mr Joyce needs to come to the party for Queensland farmers and south-west communities with a solid strategy to achieve these changes by 2019.”
Speaking to the ABC in November last year, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said the review of the plan had always tried to consider all factors.
“It [the review] always talked about balance between social outcomes, economic outcomes and environmental outcomes. And one should never reign supreme over the others, because you just can't do that to people," Mr Joyce said.
Late last year The Australian Conservation Foundation's Jonathan La Nauze said to the ABC whilst the plan was vital in reducing the amount of water taken for irrigation and returning it to the rivers and wetlands that need it, he agreed it had failed to include an appropriate transition plan for communities.
"Why after $13 billion are people still screaming that there have been no real jobs created and the support for water reform is diminishing? There is a clear failure to support communities to adjust," Mr La Nauze said.
The Murray-Darling Basin crosses three states and two territories and is the traditional homelands of 40 Indigenous nations. It is also home to more than 50 threatened species and is a migration point for birds from as far away as the Arctic. Fish, birds, farms, regional communities and cities depend on its water.