ACT still has its full water recovery target ahead to meet its June 2024 deadline

The ACT is smallest jurisdiction in the basin plan but still has its full target ahead to deliver 4.9 gigalitres (4.9 billion litres) towards a 49gL remaining basin plan target to help recover water through efficiency measures.

It comes as Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced the federal government will commence voluntary water buybacks to help reach this legislated deadline.

This 49gL is supposed to bridge the gap to recover an overall 2075gL through a number of smaller targets in local areas.

The Commonwealth is aiming to work with the ACT to identify water efficiency projects to bridge the remaining 4.9 gL of surface water in this catchment.

The Strategic Water Purchasing Framework was released on Wednesday to outline the principles that will guide how the water will be purchased.

It also includes purchasing water in five targeted areas in NSW and one in Queensland.

The federal government will strategically purchase this water through an open, competitive, transparent tender to start on March 23.

The ACT will be joining water ministers on Friday alongside Ms Plibersek to discuss the basin plan.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority had recently warned that a number of elements of the plan are unlikely to be achieved before its deadline.

An ACT government spokesperson said the ACT was on track to meet its recovery commitments and would not be asking for any extensions to its obligations.

The spokesperson said the ACT's target had been previously met through Commonwealth purchases in the Murrumbidgee water management area.

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But the Australian government had received internal advice in 2019-2020 that this water recovery was ineligible, so ACT still needs to meet its commitment.

"As the largest inland city reliant on the basin, water recovery in the ACT needs to happen in an urban environment, but the implementation of the basin plan was designed to recover water from licensed water holders and irrigators," the spokesperson said.

"The ACT has worked with the Australian government to finalise its water efficiency plan and expects to complete its commitment by June 2024."

The opposition's spokeswoman on water Perin Davey said while the ACT was a small contributor to the plan, it still had some "heavy lifting to do" and should meet its obligations.

"The ACT is furthest behind any state as they haven't returned any water and still have the full target ahead. I hope they can take their obligations as seriously as other states." Senator Davey said.

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