Barilaro on the right track

Southern Riverina Irrigators deputy chair Darcy Hare said cross-bench politicians who are not forced to toe a party line have understood the plan’s shortcomings and called for change.

But until now, it appears the Liberal and National Parties have been forced to follow the direction of federal Water Minister David Littleproud, who he said refuses to accept the plan being implemented under his watch is a disaster.

‘‘We have had to sit back and watch this disaster unfolding before our eyes, with farmers walking off their land and communities suffering huge losses and population decline,’’ Mr Hare said.

‘‘Along the way local members who should be supporting us are instead letting us down. Our Member for Farrer and Environment Minister Sussan Ley has worn out the lame excuse of blaming drought. Ms Ley, together with local Nationals Senator Perin Davey, needs to drop the party line and acknowledge this Basin Plan is a disaster.

‘‘At last we have the Deputy Premier prepared to stand up and demand action. He can now see that the flexibility which was promised in the Basin Plan implementation is non-existent.

‘‘While his federal colleagues, backed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, remain in denial, it’s fantastic that Mr Barilaro, just like our farmers and communities, has had enough.’’

In his strongest stance against the plan, Mr Barilaro this week said: ‘‘If we can't see a change in how the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is working for the people of New South Wales, forget pausing the plan, rip the bloody thing up and we will walk away’’.

Wakool Rivers Association chairman John Lolicato also welcomed this strong stance.

‘‘People along the Murray have been highlighting failings in the plan and the resultant destruction of the social fabric of many regional communities for a long time. Together, they have resulted in the New South Wales Murray region becoming a sacrificial lamb for political gain,’’ he said.

‘‘The draft Water Resource Plans are another example of the environment taking primacy over the productive sector. Anyone who has taken the time to try and wade through the changes suggested is horrified to find that some of them will even further reduce our general security reliability.

‘‘A number of the changes even go as far as reducing New South Wales’ sovereign right to control water within our state’s boundary. It would appear that the water minister’s own water agencies are giving her bad advice.’’

Mr Hare said when the Basin Plan is paused and reviewed, part of the process needs to be making everyone aware that sharing water does not have to be a ‘‘food production versus the environment’’ issue.

‘‘The Basin Plan was supposed to provide balance, but due to its inflexibility the opposite is happening,’’ he said.

Mr Lolicato added that the Basin Plan was built on what we now know to be questionable science to achieve political goals.

‘‘Those who want to pause the plan are not opposed to strategic environmental watering, but we cringe at the sheer waste of water — for example keeping the Lower Lakes full and fresh to support tourism, yacht races and housing developments, while we lose huge quantities through evaporation and transmission losses.

‘‘Is this the priority that we want for sustainable fresh food production and our Basin environment? I don’t think most Australians would see it this way.

‘‘We congratulate Mr Barilaro for having the courage to stand up to his political colleagues and we challenge Mr Littleproud to also admit that his precious plan is a dud and must be fixed.’’