As a result, he is urging the Federal Government to allow southern irrigators to access water for the nation’s food security, which he believes will help lead the economic recovery of Australia.
‘‘In times of crisis we have limited control, but when there are things we can control, we should grab the bull by the horns,’’ he told the Pastoral Times.
‘‘If ever there was a time to protect our way of life, our water, and our food, the time is now.
‘‘We can no longer afford to be sending water down the Murray and out to the ocean.
‘‘Every single drop must be saved and given to our farmers to create a crop this year.’’
Mr Barilaro said while we do not know what the future holds, he said the road to rebuilding the economy hurt by years of drought, fires and now Coronavirus will be a ‘‘long and hard one’’.
‘‘In a time of crisis it is once again regional Australia that is doing the heavy lifting, but we need a hand,’’ he said.
‘‘Protecting the environment is important, but protecting people must come first.
‘‘A good crop of rice, wheat, beef, dairy, fruit and vegetables would not only give the economy a shot in the arm but give us some long-term food security.
‘‘Isolated rain over summer has helped secure some communities town water supply and create a moisture profile in the soil, but our major storages still remain critically low.
‘‘It is for this reason the water held along the Murray and Murrumbidgee systems must be used for food production.’’
Mr Bariliaro said the Burrinjuck Dam is currently at 36.8 per cent capacity and Dartmouth at 42.9 per cent.
‘‘These are our regional lifelines,’’ he said.
‘‘But the local farmers in these areas have had zero general security water allocation for the past two years and a huge percentage of this water is reserved for environmental flows and will run out to the ocean.
‘‘When this crisis abates, yes water should be returned to the environment in reasonable measure, but now is the time to put the farmers and people of this nation first.’’
Mr Barliaro believes an ‘‘agricultural recovery of New South Wales’’ will help lead the economic recovery of Australia.
‘‘The farms of Australia will have the job opportunities for those in need and once again as a nation we must look to the west of the divide. Now is the time to unify as a nation in adversity,’’ he said.
‘‘We have faced many challenges before and we will undoubtedly face many again, so I have called my federal colleagues and made the case to put people first.
‘‘We must use the precious water that we have in reserve to protect the food and national security of Australia, and we must do it now.’’
