Opinion piece
09-November-2010
With the Labor government’s launch of the Murray Darling Basin Authority Plan, we have seen outrage at both the proposed water cuts and the total disregard for the communities they will devastate.
The impact on businesses that rely on farmers and other water users has not been calculated into the cost of the scheme even though they are directly involved.
Here in the North East we have received a crippling blow because a high percentage of our water usage is for town purposes.
This means irrigators are facing a larger than expected reduction in water availability.
Having struggled through a decade of drought, locals are well acquainted with hardship and working with the absolute minimum, but to continue that struggle on a permanent basis will mean the end for many family farms that have supported generations of locals dating back to the pioneers of the late 1800’s.
What has not been made clear by the Gillard Government is the number of support businesses such as employment, suppliers farm equipment, consumer items, goods and services that are expected to suffer if the plan is implemented.
Models done by the MDBA were cut off after the 4,000 gigalitre mark was reached because the reality of the impact on local communities was beginning to hit home.
According to the Gillard government’s own “Regional Employment Plan” released in June this year, under the heading of KEY CHALLENGES, “Water availability is the single biggest issue facing north East Victoria priority employment area, particularly in the Goulburn Valley irrigation areas and farming districts.”
“While addressing the fundamental issue of water availability is beyond the scope of this plan, opportunities to put in place local and specific project-based solutions will be explored during the implementation of the plan”
Rather than modify the plan to include this “Key Challenge”, water savings and state run programs, the Gillard Labor government has pressed on regardless of the ever increasing flow on cost to Country communities
It was only after the backlash from rural communities and persistence by me and other regional Members that the MDBA decided that they needed to talk to individual communities such as here in the North East. My office is currently working on bringing together the Minister for Water, Tony Bourke and key local stakeholders to look at the serious repercussions this plan has on North Eastern economies.
I sincerely hope we can have some success in minimising the impact on our communities