South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has cast doubt over the forthcoming Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) draft basin plan after he declared the buyback of 2,800 gigalitres to be inadequate.

 

Mr Weatherill has urged the environmental flow to be pushed to a minimum of 3000 gigalitres, placing his state in direct opposition to both Federal Water Minister Tony Burke and upstream states, Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

 

Mr Weatherill has demanded that the MDBA return to the original scheme of releasing 4000GL for environmental flow, which was first floated in 2010. The original plan received vehement opposition from irrigators, forcing the authority to reduce its planned release to 2800GL.

 

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Mr Weatherill said. "I am very concerned it (the revised plan) will be inadequate."

 

"The upstream states have over-allocated, and they should bear the burden of adjustment.”