Following recent analysis of job losses due to water buybacks, it is incredulous that buybacks would ever be again considered by any government.
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s own data shows us that 3,261 full-time equivalent job losses were attributed to water recovery across 40 southern Murray-Darling Basin communities from 2001 to 2016. That is a staggering figure.
As the NSW Irrigators Council has correctly pointed out, many of these job losses were in small communities where every job matters to keep people in town and keep schools, shops, the pub and sports club open.
Politicians are renowned for their hollow words, but Prime Minister Albanese may be taking it to a new level with his election victory speech promising to bring Australians together and promote unity and optimism.
How can rural communities feel any ‘unity and optimism’ when they know the damage caused by past water buybacks, and now see them back on the horizon?
And for what reason? Because city-based politicians and environmental ideologists do not seem to understand where their food comes from, let alone the efficiency of Australian farmers and the fact that we already have more water stored for the environment than we can deliver down the system.
The anger in rural communities at the thought of more needless water buybacks is palpable, as those who live and breathe their local communities see their fabric so unnecessarily under threat.
Last week the National Irrigators Council CEO stated: “We need to rally the troops. It’s time to start gearing up to campaign for our industry and fight for our future”.
We also need to understand this is not just an attack on farming and rural communities by the Albanese Government.
Water buybacks reduce food production, and this in turn will hit family budgets across the nation. Grow less food and it will cost more.
Yours etc.
Andrew Hateley
Finley
16°C