MINISTER BURKE MUST COME CLEAN ON WATER BUY BACKS

11-February-2011

Minister Burke must come clean immediately and categorically rule in or rule out compulsory water buy backs.

In Question Time yesterday, Mr Burke claimed that if the Government did not buy enough water over the next 8 years then that “would land Australians in a world of potentially compulsory acquisition.”

“This statement breaks Labor’s election promise not to resort to compulsory buy backs,” said Mrs Mirabella, Federal Member for Indi.

“I met with Local Government officials and local water stakeholders today at a meeting of the Murray Darling Association and they are deeply concerned if their communities are forced to sell water.”

Mr Burke’s comments come just 4 months after the release of the Guide to the Draft Murray Darling Basin Plan when he specifically stated; “There's no need ... to go compulsory acquisition”, and “we would be able to meet the requirements of having a healthy river by only purchasing from willing sellers”.

“Labor’s handling of the Murray Darling Basin Plan has already created enough panic for farmers and the threat of compulsory buy-backs is only compounding their anxiety,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.