The Coalition’s two Farrer candidates last week joined a delegation of senior politicians touring the region to discuss its move to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the behaviour, practices and performance of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.

Introduced in Parliament Wednesday last week, Liberal candidate for Farrer Raissa Butkowski and The Nationals candidate Brad Robertson joined Coalition leader Matt Canavan in Coleambally on Thursday to discuss the proposal in further detail.

Senator Canavan said the inquiry is important for farmers, irrigators and regional communities.

It is designed to ensure “environmental water management isn’t undermining agriculture”.

Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski said people have been sharing serious concerns and stories of hardship from the recent approach of this Labor Government, supported by the Greens and Teal Independents, to water management.

“Farmers, irrigators and small businesses across this community deserve transparency about how environmental water is being managed,” said Ms Butkowski.

“We can’t wait years. We need to restore accountability and trust in the system quickly.”

The inquiry is expected to undertake a focused examination of whether environmental water is achieving its intended outcomes.

It will shine a light on how decisions are made and what impacts those decisions are having on agriculture and regional economies.

“Labor’s water buybacks have had a devastating impact on our communities. It’s not just an environmental issue. It’s a food security and economic security issue,” Ms Butkowski said.

“As a board member of the Murray Darling Association, I have been advocating on behalf of farmers to ensure their concerns about water use and buybacks are being heard.

“This inquiry would help ensure water is being used appropriately, and community needs are being properly considered.”

The Commission will seek to examine:

• The performance and conduct of the Commonwealth Environment Water Holder and other Commonwealth water agencies;

• Whether environmental watering is achieving intended ecological outcomes;

• The social and economic impacts on regional and rural communities;

• Opportunities to improve outcomes through infrastructure investment rather than further buybacks;

• The operation of the Water Act; and,

• Interactions between Commonwealth and State governments.

If the Coalition’s legislation passes, a final report would be delivered to Parliament within 12 months of commencement of this Inquiry.

“For communities across Farrer, water policy is not theoretical - it determines whether farms produce, whether businesses stay open, and whether towns survive,” Mr Robertson said.

“What we are seeing right now is a growing disconnect between decisions made in Canberra and the realities on the ground.

“Farmers across our region are telling us the same thing: they are facing uncertainty, missed planting opportunities, and reduced confidence in the future — all while environmental water decisions are becoming less transparent and harder to scrutinise.

This inquiry is about restoring balance and if the government is confident its policies are working, it should welcome this scrutiny. In Farrer, this matters.

“We do not need more ideology in water policy. We need practical, transparent and accountable decision-making that recognises both environmental needs and the communities that depend on the Basin.”

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Sunday, 23rd September 2029

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