NSW member for Murray Helen Dalton has questioned whether community concerns about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan are being heard, following the release of further discussion materials as part of the Basin Plan Review.
She said thousands of submissions had been made to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), with many contributors outlining the impacts they believed the plan was having on regional communities.
“Do they actually listen?” Mrs Dalton asked, arguing the latest review papers had again failed to address many of the concerns raised by people living and working in Basin communities.
Mrs Dalton said she lodged a detailed submission to the review, alongside irrigators, councils, industry groups and community members, highlighting issues they were witnessing on the ground and changes they believed were needed.
She said issues highlighted included water recovery, delivery flows, water quality and management of the Lower Lakes.
“I didn’t ask for a few tweaks around the edges,” she said.
“I asked (on behalf of the Murray electorate) the Murray Darling Basin Authotity to confront some of the fundamental problems with the Basin Plan.
“And where is the proper recognition of what continued water recovery means for food production, farmers, jobs, businesses, and our irrigation communities?
“What I see in these latest papers is still nowhere near the fundamental rethink our communities have been calling for.”
The concerns have also been echoed by the Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG), which represents community and farming organisations across the NSW Murray.
MRSG chair Geoff Moar said the group remained concerned about what it sees as a lack of focus on the future of agriculture and food production.
“The MDBA constantly talks about climate change and the need to adapt for the future. Yet it fails to address how agriculture and national food security needs will be met with a drying climate,” he said.
“It has no interest in the impact of its decisions on rural communities, and from a national perspective it fails to address the implications of continually reducing our food production and forcing increased reliance on imports.
“We have international suppliers for a broad range of our necessities, from fuel to cars, fertilizer to electrical good and electronics.
“But it’s a massive sovereign risk if we also must rely on other countries to supply our staple foods, and that is the path we are heading down.
“If climate change is going to significantly cut river inflows, as the MDBA tells us, we need to acknowledge the importance of efficiently using reduced water to provide our nation’s food requirements.
“Ignoring this vital issue, as the MDBA is doing at present, is a dangerous path for our nation, especially with a volatile global outlook.”
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review is examining the effectiveness of current arrangements and has attracted significant input from communities, industry groups and local governments across the basin.
Critics argue the review process must better reflect the concerns of regional communities, while supporters maintain environmental objectives remain a key priority for the long-term health of the river system.
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