THE Basin Plan Evaluation has found progress is lagging in important areas, including water resources plans and compliance regimes.
Released yesterday, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan authority showed much work was still required to be done to ensure the basin plan was delivered on time, and in full.
The 122-page report is a five year review of how implementation is tracking on the MDBP.
The MDBA-led review discovered water resource plans were “at risk” of not being on track, and singled out NSW and Vic as unlikely to meet the imposed deadline for compliance.
As a result, the state government is calling on Minister for Water Resources Barnaby Joyce to cut payments to other state governments while flour their water resource plan requirements under the basin plan.
Minister for Water and the River Murray Ian Hunter said the Commonwealth government needed to withhold payments to the state governments what were not complying with the basin plan.
“This evaluation is yet another report highlighting the lack of leadership by Mr Joyce that risks the future drinking water and irrigation needs for SA,” he said.