An overhaul to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will go ahead after the Albanese government secured crossbench agreement.
The $13 billion plan aimed to return 450 gigalitres of water to the environment by June 2024 but that deadline will be moved to the end of 2027.
ACT independent senator David Pocock announced on Wednesday he had cut a $50 million deal with the government to support their legislation making changes to the plan.
This agreement will set aside an additional $20 million for the health of the Upper Murrumbidgee, as well as for the scientific monitoring of it.
Another $30 million will be in the contingency reserve for more water in the Upper Murrumbidgee during drought like conditions.
With the backing of the Greens, Senator Pocock and another independent senator David Van, the government has the numbers it needs to pass its legislation which is before the upper house.
Senator Pocock said he was now comfortable to support the bill in the Senate.
“Part of my ask for supporting an update was that the government look after the Upper Murrumbidgee and they’ve come to the table,” he told reporters.
The Murrumbidgee catchment supports Canberra, Wagga Wagga and many other regional communities.
Andy Lowes, from the Australian River Restoration Centre, said the Upper Murrumbidgee was in “pretty poor health”.
“This is actually just the start of the journey to bring this river back to life, and bring it in line with the rest of the reforms across the Murray-Darling Basin,” he said.
The coalition is opposed to the legislation.
The Restoring Our Rivers bill will enable more voluntary water buybacks and water-saving infrastructure projects to be built.
These projects would have been scrapped had the legislation not secured the support to move an end of year deadline.
The laws would put in place a new agreement with all basin states, except Victoria, which is opposed to more buybacks.
Many farmers and producers have come out against the new deal, warning their communities will suffer as a result of buybacks.
By Tess Ikonomou in Canberra
