The Greens have called for an immediate freeze on money for Murray-Darling water projects until the Auditor-General can review payments and water recovery.

“Last night’s Four Corners shows the rorting of taxpayer funds for the benefit of big business is not a thing of the past – it’s still happening. And it continues to harm rather than fix our most important river system,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The fish kill report underlines that the environment must be put first and we need a royal commission to fix the management of the Murray Darling Basin before it is too late.

“Water allocations and licenses must be changed in order to make sure there is enough water in the river when flows are low. To do this the parliament must lift the freeze on water buybacks and reinstate the ability to purchase water for the environment,”

Barnaby Joyce should be blaming his party’s consistent backing of corporate cotton for his electoral woes, not water flowing into South Australia, the Greens say.

“Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals will defend their corporate cotton grower mates to the bitter end. They only have themselves to blame for their NSW election blowout, as much as they want to pin it on South Australia,” Greens water and environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens are renewing calls for a federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin following the conviction of a NSW cotton grower who stole water from the river.

“The conviction of Anthony Barlow, who has admitted to stealing water from the river, should send shock waves through big corporate irrigators throughout the Murray Darling Basin. The river is in crisis, a Royal Commission is sorely needed to clean out the rot and hold those responsible to account,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Australian Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has this afternoon introduced a Bill to establish a Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin.

“I introduce this Bill today on behalf of the millions of Australians devastated by the mismanagement of the Murray Darling Basin, for the people without clean water to drink or watching fish die, and for taxpayers who have been continuously ripped off,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Liberal National Government has shamefully stopped the Senate from delivering vital water back to the Murray Darling Basin today.

“The Liberal National Government’s refusal to lift the freeze on water buybacks is another nail in the coffin for our precious River. On day one of Parliament we could have done something to help our River, instead the Liberal National Party has failed it again,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens have today released draft terms of reference for a federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin.

“We know our river is under extreme stress. Fish are dying and people are without clean water to drink. A Royal Commission is clearly warranted. It must be far reaching, take into account the effect the Plan has had on environment and river communities, and include the impact of climate change,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The South Australian Liberal Government needs to stop fighting the SA Royal Commissioner and start fighting for our water if they are serious about saving the Murray, the Greens say.

“South Australian Environment and Water Minister David Speirs is in denial about the delivery of the 450GL of water promised to South Australia. The Royal Commissioner has confirmed we won’t see a drop of that water,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Murray Darling Basin Plan’s compromised legal status must be taken seriously by the SA and Federal governments following the delivery of the SA Royal Commissioner’s report, the Greens say.

“Reports that the plan designed to save the River is failing to meet its environmental objectives and may be unlawful are deeply concerning. It becomes clearer as each day goes by that the Murray Darling Basin has been mismanaged and corrupted, by political and corporate interests," Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens have called on the Prime Minister Scott Morrison to visit the Lower Darling and see the environmental disaster for himself following another mass fish kill in Menindee.

“Where the bloody hell is the Prime Minister? Why hasn’t he or his Water Minister been to the River to see the environmental crisis at all in the last month?," Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.