Bureaucrat urged to resign after $13m mistake in Australian government water buyback

Senator Rex Patrick and Labor demand an explanation of the $80m purchase from Eastern Australia Agriculture, saying it's a scandal

The independent senator Rex Patrick has called for the resignation of the bureaucrat in charge of the federal government's $250m program of water buybacks after it was revealed the department of agriculture may have misinterpreted a valuation and paid $13m too much for one purchase.

Labor has also demanded an explanation from the government over the $80m purchase of water from Eastern Australia Agriculture (EAA), labelling it a scandal and a waste of taxpayers' money.