Victoria
Liberal politician backs water buybacks despite party opposition
A Liberal politician has defied party policy to support water buybacks, as South Australian MPs demand eastern states contribute more.
A Liberal politician has broken ranks with party policy to stand alongside supporters of water buybacks, according to reporting by wire services. The move comes as South Australian politicians intensify pressure on eastern states, including Victoria, to deliver their share of water to the Murray-Darling Basin.
The division highlights ongoing tensions within the Coalition over the management of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. While the federal Liberal and National parties have historically opposed voluntary water buybacks, citing potential economic harm to regional communities, some state-level representatives are now defying this stance.
South Australian politicians argue that upstream jurisdictions, particularly Victoria and New South Wales, must do more to meet recovery targets. The wire reports indicate that these politicians believe the eastern states have failed to contribute their fair share of water, leaving South Australia to bear a disproportionate burden of the river system's ecological decline.
Details remain limited regarding which specific Liberal politician broke ranks, and the federal party leadership has not yet made a formal statement on the matter. It is also unconfirmed how Victorian water authorities will respond to the renewed pressure from their South Australian counterparts.
Victorian irrigators and regional communities have long resisted federal buyback schemes, arguing that taking water out of agricultural production damages local economies. Conversely, supporters of buybacks argue that purchasing water rights from willing sellers remains the most effective way to restore the health of the river system.
Observers will be watching to see how federal and state Coalition leaders respond to this internal dissent as negotiations over the future of the basin plan continue.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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