Why have a process?
The Murray Group of Concerned Communities (MGCC) says the announcement today by the Prime Minister and Water Minister has destroyed stakeholders’ confidence in the Basin Plan development process that has
been underway for more than two years.
“Why have a process for stakeholder engagement if at the end of it all, the Prime Minister delivers a political fix?” MGCC Chairman Bruce Simpson asked.
“We had been working with other representative organisations and through the Basin Officials to ensure that community impacts and constraints were well understood and properly addressed.
“The MDBA said they would not change their recommendation for water recovery of 2,750GL under the Basin Plan1 because the impact of relaxing constraints on homes, farms and infrastructure and the socio-economic impacts had not been assessed.
“But today the Prime Minister and Tony Burke have ignored the advice of the independent authority to appease the South Australian Premier.”
“To make the announcement now, in South Australia, giving Mr Weatherill advance notice, and promising to assist South Australian irrigators has suddenly made the Basin Plan all about South Australia and not the Basin communities it will impact most,” he said.
Mr Simpson said the process to date had paved the way for the Basin Plan to include a constraints management strategy and a Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) adjustment mechanism, both of which are now redundant and meaningless in light of today’s announcement.
“The Prime Minister has effectively said SDL adjustments can only increase water recovery and constraints are merely a matter of low lying bridges and dam outlets.
“Meanwhile, the people and communities who live along the river; who face the risk of flooding to their homes and towns; who face increased council rates due to increased insurance premiums and infrastructure maintenance costs associated with floods; and who face unknown amounts of consumptive water being taken from their regions, are left to fend for themselves.
“For the Government to throw this at us on the eve of the Basin Plan being presented to Parliament is an insult to all of those who thought they were making progress towards a balanced solution.
ENDS: For further information contact Bruce Simpson on 0429 681 317
“Why have a process for stakeholder engagement if at the end of it all, the Prime Minister delivers a political fix?” MGCC Chairman Bruce Simpson asked.
“We had been working with other representative organisations and through the Basin Officials to ensure that community impacts and constraints were well understood and properly addressed.
“The MDBA said they would not change their recommendation for water recovery of 2,750GL under the Basin Plan1 because the impact of relaxing constraints on homes, farms and infrastructure and the socio-economic impacts had not been assessed.
“But today the Prime Minister and Tony Burke have ignored the advice of the independent authority to appease the South Australian Premier.”
“To make the announcement now, in South Australia, giving Mr Weatherill advance notice, and promising to assist South Australian irrigators has suddenly made the Basin Plan all about South Australia and not the Basin communities it will impact most,” he said.
Mr Simpson said the process to date had paved the way for the Basin Plan to include a constraints management strategy and a Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) adjustment mechanism, both of which are now redundant and meaningless in light of today’s announcement.
“The Prime Minister has effectively said SDL adjustments can only increase water recovery and constraints are merely a matter of low lying bridges and dam outlets.
“Meanwhile, the people and communities who live along the river; who face the risk of flooding to their homes and towns; who face increased council rates due to increased insurance premiums and infrastructure maintenance costs associated with floods; and who face unknown amounts of consumptive water being taken from their regions, are left to fend for themselves.
“For the Government to throw this at us on the eve of the Basin Plan being presented to Parliament is an insult to all of those who thought they were making progress towards a balanced solution.
ENDS: For further information contact Bruce Simpson on 0429 681 317
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