A new report has found there’ll be massive job losses when more cuts to water allocations are made in the Murray Darling Basin. The report was commissioned by the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC to look at how the removal of water entitlements will affect Murray Darling Basin communities. “The Murray Darling Basin Authority’s yet to release its Murray Plan that’ll propose sustainable diversion limits, that is, how water in the basin should be used,” NSW Nationals Senator and Chair of the Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs Committee, Fiona Nash, said. “There’s concern the MDBA will recommend more water be allocated for environmental flows and less for farming. “The CRC report shows there’ll be devastating social and economic impacts if this is to happen.” The CRC report is based on eight case studies across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. It found:
The economic loss is in the billions. “The report says remote communities such as Griffith and Deniliquin in the Riverina will be especially hit hard if there’s a further reduction in water availability,” Senator Nash said. “Griffith relies on irrigated agriculture – it forms a large proportion of agricultural industries and the entire local economy is built on it. “The report also highlighted smaller and more agriculturally dependent communities are likely to be far more exposed, and suffer disproportionate impacts. Communities in areas such as Coleambally where rice is of significant economic importance would be severely hurt. “This report doesn’t just affect farming communities. It will have a flow on effect to those in cities and our nation’s food production,” Senator Nash said. The report can be accessed at www.cottoncrc.org.au
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