The Australian Greens are calling on the South Australian Water Minister to come home from Friday’s Ministerial Council meeting with a commitment of the delivery of the 450GL promised to South Australia.
“South Australia mustn’t give in to the bullying from Victoria and New South Wales. Minister Speirs must fight for the delivery of the 450GL of water that South Australia’s was promised,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“We heard at the last hearing of the South Australian Royal Commission that state governments and the MDBA had all but admitted that SA would never get a drop of the 450GL.
“The Victorian and New South Wales Governments have cooked up terms for the delivery of the 450GL that are virtually impossible to achieve. South Australia needs a fierce defender at today’s ministerial council meeting in Melbourne.
“The Murray Darling Basin Authority has today highlighted the risk that recovery measures will not be met by the June 2019 target. With a bleak history of mismanagement at the MDBA, non-compliance, rorting, water theft, and upstream states writing their own rules, it is little wonder this milestone will be missed.
“Water Minister David Speirs raised the white flag and came home empty-handed after the last meeting of Water Ministers. This is a chance at redemption.”