A report, Trickle Out Effect, by the Australia Institute, looks at the Lower Darling and the Menindee region and the $13bn for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan found that big agribusiness is being compensated for giving up access to water while communities, graziers, small irrigators and native title holders are having to bear the often harsh effects of the plan.
The large agribusiness company, Webster, sold its water rights at Tandou in the Lower Darling to the federal government for $38m and was also paid $40m in compensation for the loss of future business opportunities and for surrendering some approvals to build works. But other farmers who are being directly impacted by the changes are not being compensated.
“Webster was compensated $40m, while communities across the entire NSW basin got only $36m to adjust to the basin plan. No other business has received compensation in the Lower Darling or anywhere else in the basin,” TAI’s senior water researcher, Maryanne Slattery, said. “This begs the question, why do the basin’s decision-makers have one way of dealing with powerful agribusiness and a different way of dealing with everyone else?”
The Australia Institute argues the Menindee Lakes plan will have devastating effects for the Barka people who have lived on the banks of the Lower Darling for more than 40,000 years and who hold native title to thousands of hectares in the region. After an 18-year battle to achieve native title, they now face the prospect that water will be removed from the area – removing part of the justification for their claim in the first place.
“To me, native title means nothing unless we are Barka … Without the Barka, we’re finished. So what’s a bit of land without water?” elder Badger Bates told the South Australian Murray Darling royal commission.
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