Better deal this time: Mirabella

MEMBER for Indi Sophie Mirabella believes the latest Murray-Darling plan offers a better deal to her region.

“Thankfully, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority listened to our arguments and the amended plan included no reductions to local irrigation entitlements.”Many local river systems, such as the Ovens, were targeted for savage cuts in the first plan, Mrs Mirabella said.

But she still had some worries about how the plan would operate.

“The minister is now talking about relaxing ‘operating constraints’,” she said.

“This would appear to mean he will allow the authority to manipulate major flood events instead of the minor flood events that were originally proposed.

“This may have significant ramifications for local farms and freehold land along local river systems.”