Australia’s water minister has announced another round of water buybacks from farmers as the 2024 deadline looms for Federal Labor to meet the targets under the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
The announcement, which was made on Feb. 22, ends weeks of speculation about the return of water buybacks. Buybacks were limited by the former Coalition government back in 2015 when farmers argued their case against the move for causing a range of problems in farming communities.
“The announcement of a strategic water purchasing program and framework to bridge the gap is an important step forward in continuing to return water to the environment and delivering upon the Australian Government’s commitment to complete the Basin Plan in full,” according to Feb. 22 media release from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)….