Water Minister Tanya Plibersek rejects claims Labor knew Murray-Darling Basin Plan promise couldn't be kept

The Nationals have accused the government of making an election promise to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan on time and in full to gain vital South Australian votes, despite knowing such a vow couldn't be kept.

Labor's promise included recovering 450-gigalitres of additional environmental water, despite several reports in the past two years indicating it would be highly unlikely given only 2GL had so far been recovered and the mid-2024 deadline fast approaching.

At the recent Murray Darling Association national conference in Albury, Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said it would be "very tough to get there in the timeframes that were identified when the 450GL target was set".

Despite the wealth of public information, Ms Plibersek says she was "gobsmacked" by how far off course the plan had been allowed to drift and previously admitted it would be "nearly impossible" to deliver the 450GL on time.

However, she rejected suggestions the admissions cast doubt on the party's election promise.

"It's simply honest to say that when I inherit a situation where two out of 450 gigalitres has been delivered, it's going to be tough to get there in the time period," Ms Plibersek said.

"I don't think that's a remarkable thing to say, I think that's an honest thing to say."

Nationals leader David Littleproud said it was breathtaking for the Water Minister to claim she was surprised recovering all the environmental water would be difficult, particularly when the basin plan was originally legislated by Labor.

"It was a dishonest promise during the election, the now-government said whatever it had to say to get into government," Mr Littleproud said.

"They knew prior to the election the basin plan is complicated, but people wouldn't understand the details and falsely promised people in South Australia would get an extra 450 gigalitres.

"They knew very well the additional water could not be achieved."

When Ms Plibersek was asked how Labor was caught flat-footed by the monumental challenge to deliver the plan on time despite the numerous public reports, she blamed the former government for hiding critical information, referring to the Water for the Environment Special Account report.

"This is a large challenge, it's always been a large challenge, but the previous government kept really critical information out of the public domain," Ms Plibersek said.

"That's a shocking indictment of the previous governments. Deliberate efforts were made to sabotage the plan."

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At the recent Murray Darling Association national conference, Ms Plibersek said the 450GL was "non-negotiable", but was "open minded" about how it was recovered and no option was off the table, including water buybacks.

Berri Barmera councillor Andrew Kassebaum, from the Riverland region of South Australia, told the Water Minister he was nervous the government had back itself into a corner with such an ambition election promise,

"The thing that makes me the most nervous is buybacks, my community does not want buybacks... they would like that commitment that buybacks are not the next thing," Cr Kassebaum

At the moment, projects to recover the environmental water must have a neutral or positive socio-economic impact, but Mr Littleproud and the Nationals have voiced concerns Labor will ditch the rule in pursuit of the 450GL target.

Moira Shire councillor Peter Mansfield asked Ms Plibersek how Labor would both abide by the socioeconomic test and recover the water on time.

Ms Plibersek was silent for some time before saying the question "keeps me awake at night". But she was vague about the government's stance on retaining the socioeconomic test, referring to "sensible and popular projects" that had been knocked back because they were tied up in red tape.

"I'm calling it brown tape because it's keeping the country dry," she said.