NFF calls for balanced approach to Water Act review

The National Farmers’ Federation is calling for greater balance between environmental, agricultural and regional community outcomes as part of the independent review of the Water Act 2007.

The NFF says future water policy should move beyond a narrow focus on water recovery, instead targeting the underlying causes of environmental decline through measures including improved water quality, invasive species control and targeted environmental works.

NFF Water Committee Chair Malcolm Holm says farmers support healthy rivers and ecosystems, but says further water recovery is not the only way to achieve those outcomes.

The organisation is also calling for greater recognition of the role of States and Territories in managing water resources, and for socio-economic impacts on regional communities and agriculture to be properly considered.

The NFF wants a Social and Economic Resilience Plan established, alongside stronger emphasis on science, transparency and outcomes-based management.

It says existing water entitlements and property rights must also remain reliable, providing certainty for farmers, communities and investors across the Murray-Darling Basin.