The Federal Budget has announced a number of water initiatives while simultaneously axing $100 million over three years to contribute the $22 billion in Federal cuts.

 

The Federal Government has announced a $845 million injection for water infrastructure and sustainability projects across Australia.

 

The funding announcement, part of the $12 billion, ten-year Water for the Future initiative, aims at delivering funding, voluntary water purchases for the environment and producing improved water management systems.

 

However, the Budget also axed $85 million from the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan and a further $15 million from ceasing the National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative has been has been gathered over three years.

 

The Government has outlined a new approach to water recovery in the Murray Darling Basin, include eliminating the timing discrepancy between when payments are taxed and when deductions are available for grant applicants under the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program and smaller, more consistent 'rolling' rounds of tenders for buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin.

 

They were an initial response to issues raised in consultations and meetings with stakeholders in the Murray Darling Basin last year and subsequently by the Windsor inquiry into the proposed Murray Darling Basin Plan.