Thursday, 4 June 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:01): (2377) My question is for the Minister for Water. In May this year the New South Wales Labor government passed the Water Management Amendment (Easements for Inundation) Act 2026. It provides WaterNSW with the power to flood private farms. Minister, will you give a rock-solid guarantee that the Victorian Labor government will not pass similar legislation in Victoria and that you will not use compulsory powers to flood private properties or to acquire land or easements for the purposes of flooding due to high river flows? Minister, on 31 July 2024 you provided me with an answer to an adjournment matter on water buybacks that states:

It’s important to note we will not flood private land without the landholder’s consent. To be clear, we will not use compulsory powers to acquire land or easements, either.

Minister, my constituents want to know if you still stand by that statement, that you will not sell them down the river to appease your Labor mates in South Australia or the federal government.