It was a revelation to read comments from the boss of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, stating “we need to move beyond water recovery”.
From the start, the Basin Plan has been hijacked by political targets that are not based on either science or the government promise of delivering a workable basin for our nation’s overall benefit.
Despite what the city-based ideologists might want to believe, we cannot turn the basin back to pre-European times.
If we did, during times of drought the Murray River would cease to flow … we’d have dry riverbeds.
I find it interesting that these people want ‘their’ basin ‘saved’, while they live in the most environmentally degraded parts of Australia, but never mention returning their own backyard back to pristine bushland and waterways.
But back to buybacks. The big question now is: What is the Federal Water Minister Murray Watt going to do?
Will he follow the advice of the MDBA and cease water buybacks?
It is the sensible approach - it will save a cash-strapped government billions of dollars, will save rural communities that are on the brink of collapse, and by prioritising environmental works over water purchase it will help build a sustainable environment
That’s the common-sense approach, but as we know ‘common-sense is not so common’ these days, especially in political circles.
There is little doubt that when the Basin Plan Review is completed the MDBA will be recommending an end to water recovery because, in the words of its chief executive, the focus now should be on “using what we have well”.
It therefore makes sense for water buybacks to be immediately suspended.
One hopes the Albanese Government and its Water Minister will take this approach, rather than continuing to make decisions based on winning environmental votes at the expense of national food security and our rural communities.
Yours etc.
Sue Braybon
Tocumwal
15°C