20 APR 2007

Federal Water Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Commonwealth will push ahead with plans to takeover water resources from the states.

Water ministers have been attending a meeting in Brisbane today amid concerns farmers in the Murray-Darling Basin will be stripped of their season’s water rights if heavy rain does not fall soon.

Prime Minister John Howard has warned water will only be available for human consumption and not for agriculture unless there is strong rainfall in the next two months.

Victoria has so far refused to sign the Federal Government’s $10 billion Murray-Darling water plan.

But Mr Turnbull is hoping an agreement can be reached.

“We are certainly able to proceed with the plan in a less effective form without Victoria, but our expectation today, our anticipation is that Victoria will sign up,” he said.

“We believe that it makes such overwhelming common sense for them to do so.”

But Victorian Water Minister John Thwaites says the state will not agree and has accused the Commonwealth of playing politics.