FEDERAL Water Minister Senator Penny Wong declined to comment on the potential purchase of entitlements from Wimmera irrigators when asked on Wednesday.
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The Mail-Times drove to Swan Hill on Wednesday and met the Senator on the banks of the Murray River where she was announcing funding for local government water saving initiatives.
Senator Wong was asked about Wimmera irrigators' attempts to sell off irrigation entitlements to the Federal Government for $1600 a megalitre.
"I don't comment on individual sale processes," she said.
But Senator Wong said it was the government's job to determine the best outcome for taxpayers and irrigators. "Our job in water purchases is to determine whether the price is reasonable. It is taxpayers' money and we need to spend it wisely," she said.
Wimmera Irrigators Association chairman Dale Frankel said despite Senator Wong remaining tight-lipped on the sale, he was confident it would go through.
"Things are not moving as quickly as I am used to, but we are optimistic," he said. "Everything is pointing in the right direction, that water is going to be purchased by the Federal Government for use as environmental water."
Wimmera Irrigators Association has offered 28,000 megalitres to the Federal Government for environmental water.
