Shadow Minister for Water, Ian Macfarlane, has today revealed the Opposition would wind back reform in the Murray Darling Basin.

In a media report today, Mr Macfarlane agreed with the National Farmers’ Federation, which this week claimed that Basin reform was happening too fast and that too much priority was being given to improving river health over agriculture.

This follows Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s recent call for a referendum on the future of the Murray Darling Basin.

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said it is now clear that if the Opposition’s referendum’s proposal were successful, we would end up with slower reform and more water being taken from our rivers.

“The only way we will keep our rivers healthy is by reducing how much water we take out of them,” Senator Wong said.

“But Mr Macfarlane has confirmed that Tony Abbott has no intention of reducing the take on our rivers.

“In fact, all Mr Abbott’s referendum would do is give control of the Murray Darling Basin to the National Party and the country Liberals, rather than the independent Murray Darling Basin Authority.

“It is unbelievable that the Coalition still hasn’t learned the lessons of the past 100 years of mismanagement of the Murray Darling Basin.

“In Adelaide, Tony Abbott and Simon Birmingham talk tough about takeovers.

“Now we know that this is a plan for the foxes to take over the henhouse.”