Lower lakes focus

TWO local residents have called on infrastructure works to occur at the mouth of the Murray River to reduce the amount of water needed to be diverted from communities to ensure the Murray-Darling Basin's health.

The men have united with Mildura grape grower Vince Cirillo, National Civic Council vice-president Pat Byrne and former Victorian Farmers Federation Water Committee chairman, John O'Brien to form Defend Australia's Food Security - an online campaign that aims to provide farmers with a means to lobby their politicians using the internet, and expose government policies that threaten agriculture and the nation's food security.Barham resident Neil Eagle and Ken Trewin have vowed their support for five engineering projects that would mitigate the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's need to reclaim 2750 gigalitres of water annually for environmental needs.

"We are endeavouring to encourage upper state Ministers and governments to stand firm and not go along with this (supporting the plan)," Mr Eagle said.

"We continue to ask how the basin plan can ask the upper states (Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria) to reconfigure their irrigation infrastructure without asking the southern-most state (South Australia) to act on the issue.

"Unless the future management of the Lower Lakes is brought into the plan, there should not be a plan."

Some of the major projects the group support include the automation of barrage gates at Goolwa to allow natural flows between Lake Alexandrina and the Southern Ocean, dredge the channel between Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert to increase fresh flows into Lake Albert and build a pipeline or trench from Lake Albert to the Coorong to help drain saline water from Lake Albert.

It is also suggested that freshwater flows from south-east South Australian are re-directed back into the Coorong system.

Another project that is supported by the three men is the construction of a new weir, known as Lock Zero, at the bottom end of the Murray River, north of the Lower Lakes.

The projects have received the support of the South Australian Government, local communities around Lakes Alexandrina, Albert and the Coorong and the authority.

The South Australian Liberal Opposition has called on the authority to investigate four of the options, whilst the South Australian Conservation Council supports three of the proposals.

"If (Howard Government Environmental Minister) Malcolm Turnbull had approved and built the weir at Wellington, much of the devastation of the drought last decade would not have occurred," Mr Eagle said.

"It is necessary to stop the losses at the bottom end of the area if another long drought occurs."

The campaign coincides with the completion of interviews for a television documentary focusing on the arguments surrounding the basin plan and how it will impact rural communities.

Mr Jury hosted a forum at Barham in July, which attracted more than 250 people.Veteran journalist Ken Jury has travelled throughout the basin states to hear the views of residents, industry leaders and politicians.

The final interviews were completed last week, with a televised date to be determined once post-production near completion.

More information on the Defend Australia's Food Security initiative is available at http://ausfoodsecurity.org.au/