Cotton Australia continues to seek a better result out of the Federal Government’s Restoring Our Rivers Bill, which is making its way through the Parliamentary process.

Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said key elements of the Bill open up the government’s ability to focus on “water buybacks” as the major implementation tool, and we know first-hand that “buybacks” severely impact irrigation dependent communities and industries.

“By seeking to remove the current 1,500Gl Cap on “buybacks” and to allow “buybacks” as a recovery mechanism for the 450Gl “Upwater”, we know that it will be our communities and our associated industries that will suffer most,” Mr Murray said.

“It is clear the Federal opposition cannot support this Bill, and that marks a significant shift in Basin Plan politics – up until now the Basin Plan had bi-partisan support.

Cotton Australia is actively lobby decision-makers, both directly, and through our active membership of other irrigator groups such as National Farmers Federation, National Irrigators Council, NSW Irrigators Council and Queensland Farmers Federation, and directly to see if acceptable improvements can be made to the Bill, or whether it needs to be completely rejected.

This week Cotton Australia was part of an industry-wide delegation that met with Senator David Pocock and emphasised to him the impact of direct “buybacks” and the severe limitation of a plan that still relies on the “just add water approach”.

Cotton Australia will continue to advocate for growers as CEO Adam Kay meets with the Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt in Canberra on Wednesday.

Take direct action

Cotton Australia urges irrigation entitlement holders and community members to email key politicians directly. NSW Irrigators Council have collated this list of key politicians and key messages:

Key contacts:
Prime Minister: https://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm
Tanya Plibersek [email protected]
Murray Watt [email protected]
Lidia Thorpe – Independent - [email protected]
David Pocock – Independent - [email protected]
David Van – Independent – [email protected]
Jacqui Lambie - Jacqui Lambie Network - [email protected]
Tammy Tyrrell - Jacqui Lambie Network - [email protected]
Pauline Hanson - Pauline Hanson's One Nation - [email protected]
Malcolm Roberts - Pauline Hanson's One Nation - [email protected]
Ralph Babet - United Australia Party - [email protected]

Key messages:

• Buybacks hurt regional communities.
• Buybacks will cost jobs.
• Buybacks will mean higher costs and less food and fibre grown.
• Buybacks must be avoided at all costs.