Steph Cooke MP
Member for Cootamundra

The Minns Labor Government must put NSW first and prevent any further Commonwealth water buybacks in the Northern Basin, following the Federal Government’s announcement that it is seeking to purchase additional entitlements. The updated Restoring Rivers Trading Strategy confirms the Commonwealth will open a voluntary Expression of Interest process targeting entitlement holders in the northern Murray-Darling Basin. However, recovery targets in the Northern Basin NSW Zone

The NSW Minns Labor Government must immediately release the valley-by-valley modelling and departmental advice underpinning their decision to lift the Menindee Lakes trigger from 195GL to 250GL of active storage. Through a co-signed omnibus amendment to multiple water sharing plans, the Minister for Water and the Minister for Environment have altered the rules governing access to overland flows in the Gwydir, Macquarie, Cudgegong and Border Rivers systems. Under the new 2