Helen Dalton MP (pictured above), Member for Murray, says the truth about what she describes as $13 billion of wasted taxpayer money needs to be told.

The independent member is referring to a new four-year study into the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) Plan reveals mixed results.

The four-year study released last involved 12 scientists from Australia’s leading universities, and drew on data from 1980 to 2023.

The report is co authored by Matthew Colloff, Kate Lanyon, Jamie Pittock, Milo Costanza-van den Belt, Sarah Wheele, Quentin Grafton, John Williams, Fran Sheldon, Richard Kingsford, Gilad Bino, Luigi Renzullo and Bradley Moggridge.

Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, has called on the federal government to scrap its Murray Darling Basin advertising campaign, labelling it “dishonest and disgraceful.”

“These ads, which have been airing on commercial TV networks for a number of weeks, falsely portray NSW farming families as environmental vandals,” Ms Dalton said.

“The ads must be taken off-air immediately.”

The Senate has passed the Murray-Darling Basin Plan amendment bill following a deal made by the Albanese government and the Greens.

The bill passed on Thursday afternoon. It will now go back to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.

The Federal environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, said that the deal includes a commitment - in law - that an extra 450GL of environmental water will be recovered by 2027.

Massive crowds gathered at three simultaneous rallies in Deniliquin, Griffith and Leeton last week.

The protests against water buybacks to reach Murray Darling Basin Plan targets was a National Farmers’ Federation initiative, supported by the Speak Up Campaign.

The rally included trucks, tractors and farm equipment, driven to each gathering by angry farmers and irrigators.

Representatives of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s (DPE) water group visited Hillston, Hay and Moulmein recently, gathering first-hand information to inform the newest iteration of floodplain management plans for the Murray Darling Basin.

The Australian Government has announced $2.4 million in funding for the Nap Nap Station Water Efficiency Project west of Hay.