Release time: 9:45 am (Melbourne time)
Labor’s raid on regional water is in the Coalition’s sights, with the Liberals and Nationals set to introduce the Water Amendment (Ending Further Murray-Darling Basin Water buybacks) Bill 2026 today to ban Commonwealth water buybacks.
Under the legislation being introduced, Labor would be barred from buying any more permanent Basin water entitlements that would grow the Commonwealth’s share of the Murray-Darling.
Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan said the Bill will not only halt further water buybacks, but also protect the water that is available for farming, towns, jobs and productive use.
“We need to end water buybacks for the sake of saving our regional communities, after Labor started the buybacks and added an additional 450 GL,” Senator Canavan said.
“This issue is crucial, which is why we are introducing the legislation today.
“We are deeply concerned about Labor’s additional 450 GL and the impact it will have on regional communities. The Bill will leave temporary water allocation trading unaffected, but importantly, ensure farmers and irrigators aren’t penalised.
“We need to grow Australian farming again. And we will do that by ending the water buybacks to deliver more water to the farmers who need it, and by building dams and investing in water infrastructure like we did when we were last in office.
Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said regional communities and farmers bear the brunt of water buybacks.
“Irrigators in my electorate depend on reliable and affordable water access, but the shrinking consumptive pool is making farming increasingly difficult.”
“In a regulated system, more water cannot simply be created. We need to stop removing it from agricultural production because the economic activity that it creates reaches every corner of regional communities.”
Senator Canavan said he was also extremely pleased to announce that the Coalition is also introducing a Taskforce on Water today, to get more water flowing to the bush.
Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack will lead the new Coalition Water Taskforce as Chair.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture Sam Birrell, Member for Barker Tony Pasin, Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson, Senator for Tasmania Richard Colbeck, and Member for Flynn Colin Boyce will serve on the taskforce.
“The Coalition Taskforce on Water would travel to the frontiers of our nation to restore water and food security,” Senator Canavan said.
“In total, Labor has cut over $7 billion in dams and water supply funding. This government has no funding and no plan to increase water or food security.
“We are facing a serious food security crisis unless we can grow more food. While the value of agricultural production has doubled since 2000, the volume of produce grown has only risen 30 per cent. At the same time our population has grown by 50 per cent.
“With a rapidly increasing population and at current trends, we will have a production shortfall by 2040 of 47 per cent for pork, 40 per cent for butter, 21 per cent for eggs, 16 per cent for apples, 15 per cent for chicken, 14 per cent for rice and 7 per cent for cheese.
“We need to expand the frontiers of our nation, and we can do that by growing more food.
“While Labor spends its time locking water away from farming communities, we will end Labor’s green ideology, outlaw future water buybacks, and restore the vision our grandparents had to actually build and grow our nation.
“That’s why I’ve asked Michael to lead what I like to call the raiders of Labor’s lost dams. He will lead a team that will travel to the frontiers of our nation and find the water storage projects Labor has shelved and make the case to build them.”
Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack and Chair of the Coalition Taskforce on Water, said the 2026 draft Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) determination found just 22 of the 39 notified measures are expected to be operational by the statutory deadline.
“The projects are now expected to deliver an adjustment of 340 GL per year, which is 265 GL per year below the original 605 GL assumption,” Mr McCormack said.
“Labor has not ruled out purchasing further permanent water entitlements to address the shortfall and Basin communities should not be forced to bear the consequences of governments failing to deliver the agreed infrastructure and environmental projects.
“The Bill would therefore ensure the SDLAM shortfall can’t become the basis for another round of permanent Commonwealth water buybacks.”
The Coalition Water Taskforce will:
- Travel through Basin and regional communities to hear first-hand from irrigators, growers and local councils.
- Build a pipeline of new dam and water storage proposals to boost supply for agriculture, towns and industry.
- Scrutinise Labor’s water recovery program and expose the cost of buybacks to regional economies.
- Report to the Coalition to shape its water agenda ahead of the next federal election.