It remains unclear whether recent and proposed Commonwealth water purchases are being financed through WESA or via the undisclosed Federal Budget allocation. If the latter is correct, then remaining WESA funds should be redirected toward delivering complementary measures and structural adjustment support for communities consistent with its remit. This point is underscored by the Second WESA Report which identified a substantial pool of unspent funds and a reluctance to invest in complementary measures at a time when buybacks were not an option on the table.
Full submission can be found here.
Chrissy Kerin
Ashleigh Whittaker