VICTORIAN farmers had done significant heavy lifting on water savings, said state Water Minister Harriet Shing.
Ms Shing said in Laanecoorie on Friday that she wanted to ensure there was a balanced approach to returning water to the environment.
She said negotiations with the Federal Government on water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin should consider the impact on communities.
Ms Shing said every alternative should be used before buybacks proceeded.
“We (Victorian Government) remain opposed to buybacks. That condition has not changed and we know what the impact of buybacks ... looked like when the first buybacks occurred,” she said. “It had enormous consequences for the economy, for jobs, for productivity. I will continue to advocate for the tiny communities and to make sure that we can continue to develop and deliver projects in partnership with the Commonwealth which don’t create negative social or economic impact.
“I want to make sure that the high reliability water we have in Victoria is able to be used and conserved in the best possible ways.”
Canberra is currently trying to buyback 20GL from farmers.