19th
December 2011
Murray
Darling Basin Authority
Dear
Sir/Madam.
A merry
christmas to you all.
Firstly
thank you for facing the people affected by the basin plan over the last week,
it showed to me that you are prepared to listen and hopefully make changes to
what is a dramatically flawed basin plan.
My family settled in the Cobram area some 150 years
ago, so I have a deep and I believe well balanced knowledge of the Murray
River, its environs and irrigation. My background was in the stock &
station and real estate agency industry, but unfortunately my career has been
cut short by mental illness.
I have heard many stories of the Murray River not
flowing during droughts prior to dams and irrigation, I have never seen this in
my 52 years.
I have dealt with, socialised with and made life
long friendships with many farmers over my life time, they are truly an
industry we must cherish and treat with far greater respect than they currently
receive.
Irrigation was developed many decades ago and has
been one of the main industries driving Australia as a nation. Successive
Federal and State Governments have charged farmers for irrigation water and yet
spent next to nothing improving this enormous asset, to the point it is now in
terrible disrepair, the channels have leaked for at least 40 years. Time for
governments to cough up and return this asset to a jewel in the crown once
again. By doing this we can return all the water to the rivers the environment
needs plus much more.
Finally, we must be very careful how much water we
return down the river as flooding as over flooding will have a huge detrimental
affect on our trees and plants in the forests.
No doubt I will be in contact again.
Yours Faithfully,
Peter Gilmour
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