Murray Darling Basin flooding overstated?

October 25, 2012

University of New South Wales scientists claim that a study they conducted on behalf of the Australian Floodplain Association has proved that artificial environmental flooding will have minimal impact on agricultural land in the Murray Darling Basin.

 

Federal Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone says we who live in the Basin, know better.

 

“The scientists used satellite imagery to examine the effects of flooding environmental sites” Dr Stone said. “From this, they deducted that because the vast majority of wetlands are not near irrigation areas, farmers will be okay.

 

“I am assuming that this research group are aware that the modelling of 3200 gigalitres to be returned to the environment by the Murray Darling Basin Authority could only be achieved by lifting constraints on the system.

 

“These constraints are in place to protect towns, farms, roads, railway lines and so on from flooding. This is not guessing off a satellite image, this is hard data, as are the effects of the floods across Northern Victoria over the past two years.

 

“It is not like the flooding is going to be happening away from river communities and irrigators. 3200 gigalitres will be pushed through the system to South Australia, where Premier Jay Weatherill plans to pipe more water out of the Murray River for Adelaide and beyond, even as far as Ceduna, which is around 750 kilometres away from the river.

 

“The environment has plenty of water now. 2750 gigalitres is too much, let alone 3200 gigalitres” Sharman Stone said.