The Deniliquin district community is being urged to make a huge, last ditch effort to protect the region from potentially damaging water buybacks.
A big crowd is needed at a rally on Tuesday to send a clear message to Canberra that our community will not accept being collateral damage for the Albanese Government’s political agenda.
It will be held in the Multi Arts Centre precinct of Waring Gardens from noon until 1pm.
This will allow people to attend during a lunch break, and organisers hope businesses will close for the hour and encourage staff to attend.
The rally is one of three being held across the Riverina on Tuesday, with others at Griffith and Leeton.
They have been coordinated as part of the National Farmers’ Federation ‘Keep Farmers Farming’ campaign, with local government and community support.
The rallies will share the message that a rewrite of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, as proposed by Water Minister Tanya Plibersek, will cost thousands of jobs and slash almost $1 billion worth of food and fibre from farms.
The Deniliquin rally will highlight community concern at the social and economic damage that will be caused if water buybacks are reintroduced, as proposed by the Albanese Government’s Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023.
The Bill is expected to be debated in the Senate next week, with the rally timed to send a clear message that regional communities expect to be protected by our nation’s senators.
Among the numerous local government, farming and community organisations supporting the rally is the Speak Up Campaign.
Its chair Shelley Scoullar said this may be the last opportunity for our communities to influence cross-bench senators, who will decide whether or not the controversial Bill is passed.
“I would strongly encourage everyone who can possibly ‘down tools’ and attend the Deniliquin rally to do so,” Mrs Scoullar said.
There will be a range of speakers highlighting the indisputable evidence of the damage caused to local communities from water buybacks.
Edward River Councillor Linda Fawns, who is helping organise the rally, said people in the community were furious about the prospect of further buybacks and the fact they hadn’t been consulted.
“Our town has done its part and suffered the pain of buybacks already,” she said.
“Enough is enough. We lost jobs in the region, our schools are struggling and local businesses have closed.
“To turn around now and ask for more will put the future of our community at risk,” Cr Fawns said.
“We still find it almost impossible to believe that unchecked buybacks are back on the agenda, after so many reports which show the damage they cause to our local economies and the people who suffer,” Mrs Scoullar added.
Mrs Scoullar encouraged business operators to close their doors for a short time on Tuesday so staff can attend the rally, or if this is not possible to operate for a short time on a skeleton staff.
“I understand this is inconvenient, but the stakes are high.
“We have been fighting various aspects of the Basin Plan for more than a decade, but when the job losses and personal hurt from previous buybacks became so obvious, we at least thought this was not a battle that would have to be fought again.
“So it is vital that we stand strong and united in opposing this blatant attempt to secure South Australian and city-based environmental votes at our expense.”
Mrs Scoullar added that Water Minister Tanya Plibersek keeps telling us those who participate in the buybacks are ‘willing sellers’ and downplays economic impacts, but she is masking the true reality.
“A range of independent reports highlighted what buybacks do to our communities. This is why state and federal governments placed a cap on the amount of water that could be acquired, and introduced a neutrality test to guarantee no adverse social and economic effects.
“It is beyond comprehension that with all the evidence, Plibersek tears up the bipartisanship and is prepared to sacrifice our communities for political gain.
“We need big crowds at these rallies to send the clear message that this is unacceptable, even in today’s harsh political world.”
Mrs Scoullar said it was disappointing the Water Minister had never bothered to visit many affected areas in the Basin to discuss the solutions which have been prepared by local organisations as an alternative to buybacks.
“All we are seeking is a fair go and the balanced Basin Plan that was promised by the current Minister’s colleague, Tony Burke, over a decade ago.
“We want this promise honoured and we want our communities protected; surely that is not too much to ask.”