McCurdy slams Labor’s failure to future-proof Victoria’s water security

The Nationals’ member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy has slammed the Allan Labor Government in his budget reply speech in Parliament, for failing to properly plan for Victoria’s long-term water security; warning Labor continues to ignore practical infrastructure solutions while regional communities face mounting pressure from buybacks, rising water costs and climate uncertainty.

Mr McCurdy is again shining a light on the Big Buffalo dam expansion, of which he believes is the kind of nation-building project Victoria should already be advancing; yet Labor has repeatedly refused to seriously investigate it.

Mr McCurdy completed a full roadshow throughout the Ovens Valley electorate in 2020, the project was received with passionate support he said, " Big buffalo has been on my agenda for more than a decade and its time Labor looked beyond Melbourne for major infrastructure projects.

“Regional communities have been calling for this project for years, but Labor continues to dismiss it while billions of megalitres of water are lost through evaporation and flood flows,” Mr McCurdy said.

“The former Bolte Government purchased the land required for expansion in the 1960s, meaning taxpayers are already more than halfway there in terms of cost and planning, yet Labor still refuses to act.”

Mr McCurdy said Big Buffalo had the potential to deliver stronger water security for irrigators, reduce reliance on Lake Victoria which loses around 130GL annually through evaporation, and generate hydro-electricity for communities including Myrtleford and Wangaratta.

“This is plain common sense. As climate pressures intensify, Victoria needs the Government to be willing to capture water when it falls and store it for future use, not to simply make excuses,” he said.

Victoria is being left behind in water security while the Murray Darling Basin is screaming out for solutions. Together the eastern states can work together to ensure all of our water is managed better. 

“Labor has lacked the vision and leadership to even begin the conversation on a project that could help future-proof regional Victoria for generations and its well past time that Labor stopped being controlled by the Greens on environmental policy and governed for all Victorians.”