The NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash today joined the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, and Shadow Water Minister, Barnaby Joyce, in urging Murray Darling Basin farmers and communities to come to Canberra, as it’s the only chance to have their voices heard.
The federal Water Minister, Tony Burke, was once again absent at a public meeting at Forbes to discuss the guide to the Murray Darling Basin draft plan. The guide is flagging water cuts averaging 27 to 37 per cent across the basin and has outraged farmers and regional communities.
“The Minister has not attended any of the meetings so far. If he’s not going to attend the meetings, then I’m afraid these people have no choice but to come to Canberra and demand he meets with them,” Senator Nash said.
Senator Nash is also concerned proposed water cuts across the Murray Darling Basin could be at odds with the national water plan.
The Murray Darling Basin Authority said the environment was the top priority based on its interpretation of the Water Act. The authority’s since agreed to look at new legal advice that found equal priority must be given to the social and economic effects on regional communities.
Yet all along, the National Water Initiative has clearly stated the need to balance social, economic and environmental interests. It is a national water plan signed by the federal and state governments.
The intergovernmental agreement on the National Water Initiative states:
“Decisions about water management involve balancing sets of economic, environmental and other interests.”
“….governments have a responsibility to ensure that water is allocated and used to achieve socially and economically beneficial outcomes in a manner that is environmentally sustainable.”
“Full implementation of this Agreement will result in a nationally-compatible market, regulatory and planning based system of managing surface and groundwater resources for rural and urbanuse that optimises economic, social and environmental outcomes….”
“Recognising that settling the trade-offs between competing outcomes for water systems will involve judgements informed by best available science, socio-economic analysis and community input….”
“The federal and state governments signed off on the national water plan that clearly stipulates equal treatment must be given to social, economic and environmental factors. It would be expected that the draft basin plan reflects the same objectives, but this so far hasn’t been the case,” Senator Nash said.
“I call on the government to investigate whether the Guide to the Basin Plan, and the Water Act, are in fact compliant with the national water plan.
“If not, they must be changed to reflect what the federal and state governments signed up to.”
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