Leading the charge is Murray Regional Strategy Group, whose chair Geoff Moar says the latest announcement of more water buybacks on the eve of a Federal election was “beyond comprehension”.
The Albanese Government has announced a second buyback tender in the southern Murray-Darling Basin in 2024-25, wanting to buy another 100 gigalitres on top of the 70 gigalitres announced last year and not yet finalised.
“For the past 15 years we have been lied to, led up the garden path and now ignored by Sydney-based politicians who break promises and refuse any effort at collaboration, for what appears to be a sole focus on winning marginal city-based seats.
“It is difficult to hide our anger at the disdain for rural communities, let alone the way in which the decision ignores the obvious future impact on cost of living.
“Less water for production means a further reduction in growing staple foods for Australian tables. So we import more and pay more at the supermarket.
“This makes a mockery of the government’s claims that it wants to address the cost of living crisis.”
Mr Moar added it was particularly frustrating for rural communities when there are viable alternatives to buybacks, yet Minister Plibersek continually refuses invitations to come to the region, get a better understanding of the impact of buybacks and look with an open mind at these alternatives.
“On top of all this, communities were promised these buybacks would not occur if there was proven social and economic damage. What more evidence do you want than thousands of job losses, schools with significantly reduced student populations, sporting club closures and a plethora of empty shops?
“We are sick and tired of broken government promises that sacrifice rural Australia in an attempt to win city votes, generally at the hands of city-based politicians like Minister Plibersek who won’t even communicate with us.”
Mr Moar said what makes the decision to continue with buybacks so totally incomprehensible are the words of Minister Plibersek’s Cabinet colleague Tony Burke, when he was Water Minister.
When the original water recovery target of 2,750 gigalitres was established, Mr Burke said: “There is a reason why the 2,750 is the number recommended. And that is that once you go beyond 2,750 with the constraints that are currently in the system (with) the extra gigalitres of water you don’t get a significant environmental improvement.”
And throughout the Basin Plan development process, communities were promised ‘triple bottom line’ outcomes, equally caring for people, economies and the environment.
“We all entered into the process in good faith, and it is extremely disappointing when a Water Minister like Tanya Plibersek, with so little experience in water policy and management, breaks all the promises and treats rural communities in this manner.
“The minister will attempt to recover the water, hoping it will win city votes. But what will happen then? As Tony Burke has stated, we will then have constraints issues, leading to more frequent flooding at massive expense to taxpayers.
“Surely, the most recent 2022 floods would raise alarm bells at the consequences of storing too much water in our dams.”
Mr Moar said he hopes Australians, wherever they live, try to get an understanding of this latest decision and its future impact.
“For the future of our nation, we must realise that governments cannot be allowed to support policy that restricts our ability to grow fresh, clean food in a sustainable way, especially when our population continues to grow,.”
25°C