AUSTRALIAN GREENS SA RIVER MURRAY POLICY
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 The River Murray and the Coorong are in a Critical Condition
1.1.1 The crises unfolding in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) are the product of the two great challenges facing our Planet – the unsustainable exploitation of finite natural resources and the environmental impact of Global Warming.
1.1.2 Through drought and water extraction for human use, the natural river flows have been so reduced that the Murray Mouth has closed over for only the second time in at least 7,000 years according to geomorphological studies.
1.1.3 Three-quarters of the River Red Gums and Black Box in the Murray Darling Basin are dying or under stress.
1.1.4 In South Australia, 90% of River Red Gums between Loxton and Cadell are similarly threatened.
1.1.5 Native fish stocks are dwindling and some 12 species, like the Murray Cod, are on the national endangered list and are locally extinct in the Lakes and Coorong.
1.1.6 The Coorong, recognised under the international Ramsar Treaty as a wetland of world significance, is in a state of ecological collapse. Because of negligible river flows and the closure of the Murray Mouth, 2/3 of the Lower Coorong is now unable to support plants or resident fish. Approximately 100km of Coorong lagoons has been converted from dense aquatic forests to desert in the past 20 years. The Upper Coorong is now four times as salty as sea water and only supports algae and brine shrimp. The Upper South-East Drainage Scheme, although poorly executed, could be used as an opportunity to freshen parts of the South Lagoon and provide a mosaic of wetland habitats for the remnant plants and animals and the migratory birds.
1.1.7 Flora, fish and bird numbers are dropping drastically and quickly in the Coorong
1.1.8 Water from the Murray, for South Australian use, may be too salty to drink 50% of the time by the year 2020
1.1.9 Salt build up is a large problem throughout the Murray Darling Basin. The only way to effectively remove the salt from the Basin is to have it flushed out to sea by water flow down the river and then out through the Murray Mouth. Salt Interception Schemes merely store salt in dryland areas – they don’t remove it from the Murray-Darling Basin.
1.2 Water Flows in the River Murray System
1.2.1 Water flow in the Murray Darling Basin under natural conditions was highly variable. Dams, storages and weirs have regulated the flow so that a more reliable supply is available for human use and for flood mitigation. But the natural cycle that created its unique ecology has been destroyed.
1.2.2 Over 80% of the normal flow of the river system is being extracted – about 10,000 – 12,000 GL per annum on average (1 Gigalitre (GL) = one thousand million litres). In addition, it is estimated that “double-allocated” groundwater (ie.water that has already been allocated as surface water) accounts for an additional 1,000GL.
1.2.3 The Murray-Darling Basin produces 2/3 of all irrigated produce grown in Australia.
1.2.4 South Australia’s guaranteed entitlement (in bad times) is 1,850GL per annum. Of this, 696GL is for losses and the dilution of salty inflows. Of the 800GL allocated for human use, 600GL goes to irrigation, 50GL to country towns and 130GL to Adelaide. Adelaide actually draws between 50 and 150GL per annum.
1.2.5 The Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) initiated the Living Murray Program in July 2002, with an increase to environmental flows over 10 years of 500 GL per annum. The research reports indicated that 1500GL per annum was the minimum needed to achieve a moderate chance of restoring the river’s health.
1.2.6 More recent research by CSIRO and others have indicated that climate change will reduce the amount of water coming into the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). Surface flows may reduce by up to 20% by 2030, and up to 45% by 2070.
1.2.7 Further restriction on water returning to the Basin is expected from:
· Reafforestation
· Increasing frequency and severity of bushfires, in part as a result of climate change
· Efficiency in water delivery, causing less water to return underground to the river
· Increase of farm dams and damming of small tributary rivers
· Selling and buying of water licenses (especially sleeper licenses and on-selling of water saved through efficiencies)
· Salinity interception schemes
· Change of land use
· Increased use of ground water
1.2.8 The MDBC predicts that further losses to the Murray Darling Basin (change in system inflows by 2023) will be:
· Climate change 1100GL
· Reafforestation 330GL
· Growth in groundwater use 510GL
· Construction of farm dams 250GL
1.3 The Coorong
1.3.1 To quote from Henry Jones, a fisherman of a family of 6 generations of fishers;
“Species of fish that for thousands of years have been attracted to the estuary to induce breeding to feed on mottle sand crabs and bony bream and the once rich food chain are now wondering what the hell is happening. Species of fish that live in the salt water and spawn in the fresh are finding it impossible to get into the fresh water lakes.”
1.3.2 Valuable Coorong mud that is the engine room of all Coorong biodiversity is being smothered by sand. It is estimated that only 11% of the original natural estuary area is left.
1.3.3 It is estimated that migratory bird numbers have fallen from 250,000 in the 1960’s to less than 20,000 now. It was the abundance of birdlife that led to the Coorong being listed as a Ramsar site of international significance.
1.3.4 There has been negligible freshwater flow out of the river through the Lower Lakes (Alexandrina and Albert) for five years. The brackish water environment of the Coorong is disappearing, being replaced by more saline habitats up to four times the concentration of the sea.
1.3.5 Just to keep some seawater flow in and out of the Mouth and so give the Lower Coorong some chance of survival requires 24 hours dredging. Up to spring of 2004, this had cost about $10 million and moved over 2 million cubic metres of sand.
1.3.6 To reduce the inflow of sand from the sea into the mouth by 100,000 cubic metres per annum (the approximate amount of sand deposited each year) will require an increase in flows over the Barrages of 1,000GL per annum.
2. PRINCIPLES
2.1 The overarching principle of the Greens SA policy is that the River Murray and the Coorong must be managed in a manner that recognises and fully protects ecological & cultural values.
2.2 Water extraction and use must be ecologically sustainable and must not degrade water quality. Adequate environmental flows must be legally protected.
2.3 All management activities for the Murray and the Coorong (eg salt interception and dredging) is to be carbon-neutral in terms of energy usage
2.3 There must be no private ownership of water. Rights or authorisations to use water should not be given in perpetuity. Licenses and short-term allocations should be used to provide security to irrigators and to ensure governments retain the ability to manage water usage adaptively in response to environmental change or improved scientific understanding.
2.4 Trading in water licenses or other forms of allocation must be strongly regulated, with a full and transparent process of audit and accountability
2.5 When pricing water, Greens SA will apply a true-costs, user and polluter pays pricing system. It would take into account the financial and quality of life costs imposed on future generations as well as contemporary health, property and ecological costs.
2.6 All relevant environmental, cultural, social and economic stakeholders should be involved in water allocation, planning and decision-making.
2.7 The ecological imperative to return the river and the Coorong to health must be managed with the social and economic needs of communities and individuals in mind. However, it is recognised that some communities and individuals may be affected and the Greens support the implementation of social programs to mitigate the impact of these changes.
2.8 An integrated catchment approach to the management of both surface and ground water is a necessity.
2.9 The Murray River is seen as part of the Murray-Darling Basin as a whole. South Australia alone cannot solve the problems. There must be an integrated strategy across all relevant States and the Commonwealth. South Australia must do all it can to manage and correct the degradation of the river and the Coorong and lead by example, while trying to bring the other States on board.
2.10 Greens SA recognises that the indigenous custodians of this land and rivers lived with the river in a sustainable way prior to European settlement and are now denied the opportunity to live traditionally. We must involve the traditional owners in our legal water allocation framework and thus integrate their knowledge and this long history of sustainable use and culture. We acknowledge that modern Australia is responsible for the current poor state of the River Murray catchment which was once shaped in ecological character by the practices of the traditional owners.
2.11 When land is to be acquired by the government or one of its agencies for environmental rehabilitation, the right of first refusal to manage the land is to be offered to the tribal owners of the land. Rehabilitation must be accompanied by adequate financial and technical support.
2.12 Greens SA acknowledges that the river has many uses including cultural practices, agriculture, viticulture, recreational activities, town water, fishing and tourism. The Murray has played a vital role in South Australian history, transport, agriculture and water supply and the river is seen as part of our lives and heritage, not just a source of water to use and exploit. The community of the Lakes and Coorong derive significant well-being from the wetlands just being there.
2.13 Of concern is the effect of agricultural chemical use on the quality of the river’s waters, on aquatic life and riverside fauna and flora. Greens SA calls for the encouragement and support of organic and sustainable farming practices throughout the MDB.
3 GOALS
3.1 To save the Coorong, keep the Murray Mouth open and reduce salinity throughout the Basin, we call for a regular flushing of the river mouth. This will require an environmental water allocation of 1,000GL per annum through the Barrages and through the mouth or 5,000GL spread over 5 years. The timing and amount of water to be used for this purpose will be based on environmental need.
3.2 SA Greens consider the current target of the Living Murray Initiative of redirecting 500GL of water for environmental flows within the Basin to be a welcome first step, but ultimately inadequate. The identified minimum of 1,500GL needs to be the five year target. Greens SA believe it will be necessary to allow for the return of a minimum of 3,000GL pa to the river system by 2020.
3.3 There should be a 20% reduction in total water usage by 2015.
3.4 Additionally, in order to help provide increased environmental flows and return some of the natural fluctuation to river levels and flows, flow peaks arising from an increase in available water through higher catchment runoff, should not be redirected to maximise allocations, sale water or to opportunistic agricultural use, but returned to, or left in, the river system.
3.5 Greens SA recognises the outstanding commitment and excellent work of so many in working towards restoring the health of the ecosystems in the Murray Darling Basin whether as individuals or technical experts, in Landcare or Catchment Groups, in all tiers of Government and in the Murray Darling Commission and the Living Murray Initiative. We further support the introduction of a Water Environmental Trust (WET), as an advocate for the environment, to monitor the accessibility of environmental water, to buy back water allocations and licenses and to oversee the health of the river and the Coorong. The WET will undertake an annual audit and will be empowered to ensure that targets for the return of water to the system are reached. Processes will be open and accountable to the public and all interested parties.
3.6 Continued dredging of the Murray mouth as a temporary measure until the natural flow is returned and an open mouth is maintained by river flows.
3.7 Support efforts to reduce and remove carp, trout, redfin and other aquatic pests from the river and restore native fish populations.
3.8 Banning of the use of water wasteful irrigation systems.
4 SHORT-TERM TARGETS
4.1 In order to achieve a 20% reduction in water use by all users the Greens will:
· Reduce water allocations and caps (including groundwater) cumulatively by 2% each year for ten years, irrespective of rainfall in any one year.
· Undertake that all water saved by consumers will be returned to river flows and will not be redirected to other uses.
· Introduce financial and other incentive schemes for users who achieve the 20% reduction target at a household or business level ahead of schedule.
4.2 Call for an open investigation into the role of the Barrages and their impact on water flows, salinity, habitats and the general health of the Coorong and the effect of sea level rise due to global warming.
4.3 Call for an urgent review of the dairy industry on the lower Murray with a view to changing the use of the land to environmental rehabilitation or organic and sustainable farming.
4.4 Call for a risk assessment of all industries within the Basin and develop action plans to mitigate or treat the significant risks.
4.5 Incentive schemes to
· encourage efficiency of water use,
· reduce the use of water-soluble fertilisers
· improved control of livestock and its waste
· encourage the retention of native vegetation
· increase use of organic agricultural practices.
4.6 Ban the use of overhead sprinklers for routine irrigation.
4.7 Irrigation water supply distribution to be piped or covered and not open channel to minimize evaporation and seepage losses.
4.8 Improved metering and enhanced supervision of licence conditions.
Download the Greens SA River Murray and Coorong policy as a PDF file.
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