A report into a controversial government water buyback scheme found value for taxpayers' money wasn't ensured, but did not find any legal breaches | micksfoley
An Auditor-General's report into a controversial water buyback scheme in the Murray-Darling Basin found the federal Water Department did not ensure value for taxpayers' money in the $190 million program, but did not find any legal breaches in the so-called 'watergate' deals.
Buybacks began under open tenders in 2008 and irrigators offered their water rights for the Department to buy. Voluntary offers started to dry up in 2016, so to ensure it met its targets the federal government began a $190 million program where it actively sought out deals. By 2019 it had purchased about 80 billion litres of water across eight catchments.
The goal was to buy enough water to supply environmentally significant wetlands downstream at Narran Lakes in North West NSW, an important breeding habitat for brolgas, royal spoonbills, magpie geese, straw-necked ibis, Australasian bitterns and other water birds.
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