Now the Murray Darling Basin Plan has to find 3200GL

SHARMAN STONE

November 29, 2012

The Water Amendment (Water for the Environment Special Account) Bill 2012 is about to become law.

 

Federal Member for Murray Dr Sharman Stone described the Bill as another ill-conceived, poorly drafted and slapdash piece of legislation that had been rushed into the house. She opposed it; however last night after a division was called, the Bill was passed.

 

Despite 2750GL being the long debated last remaining volume to be found for the environment through the Murray Darling Basin Plan, South Australia and the Greens insisted on another 450GL, which is now added to the 2750GL still to be found.

 

Last night this new figure was amended from being just an aspiration to now become a fixed requirement. According to this new law the requirement is to keep the mouth of the Murray open 95% of the time without dredging.  This is not a natural situation” Sharman Stone said.

 

“Sand bars at the mouth are natural, and before the barrages were built over 70 years ago, they were affected by wave action and the sea.

 

“This bill calls for $1.77 billion to be committed for the acquisition of the additional 450 gigalitres of water for the environment by removing the natural constraints that exist in the river system, and by investing in more on farm measures. Unfortunately, general buy-backs are not ruled out.

 

“The constraints identified include things like bridges, roads and railway lines. This extra water will cause flooding on the Goulburn and Murray. Now we have the loss of irrigation water, as well as deliberate regular flooding.

 

“The new law’s requirements see flooding from Yarrawonga down, with the delivery of 40,000 megalitres a day at McCoy Bridge for at least for 4 days every 2.5 years. The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s environmental flow hydraulic study has found pushing that much water under McCoy Bridge would flood 100 buildings, 250 kilometres of road, 8,000 hectares of dry-land agriculture and 1,000 hectares of irrigated agriculture.

 

“The extra water released down the Goulburn is calculated to flood over 200 houses. Land values and rate values will suffer, and insurance premiums will continue to go through the roof”, Sharman Stone said.

 

“These floods please the Greens, but there can be little expectation that the environment would benefit. In fact, water lying on our flood plain can do a lot of damage.

 

“I know that opposing the overall Murray Darling Basin Plan is the right thing to do” Dr Stone said. “This new move now makes my formal opposition to the Plan even more important”.