The revised plan for the Murray-Darling will leave South Australia's environment and its farmers "stuffed" when faced with the next drought, independent senator Nick Xenophon says.
The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) released the revised version of its draft plan to the state and federal governments on Monday and it stands by its recommendation to return 2750 gigalitres to the river system for environmental flows.
Senator Xenophon said that again failed to recognise that South Australian irrigators had stuck to a cap for taking water from the river for more than 40 years while upstream states increased their take.
"This is a double whammy for SA, for both the environment and our farmers," he said. Senator Xenophon said the revised plan was a political fix and all about keeping the eastern states happy.
"It's a political numbers game, 11 SA seats in federal parliament compared with a combined 115 for NSW, QLD and Victoria," he said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"The MDBA needs to look past the numbers and look to the future. "With a plan like this, SA's environment and its farmers will be completely stuffed when faced with another drought."
The SA government has also opposed returning only 2750GL to the river system, arguing 4000GL is needed to ensure its long-term health.
