photo: Henry Gold
17th July 2023.
The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state's leading environmental advocacy organisation, has today blasted the concerted misinformation campaign being spread by corporate irrigators about the proposal to purchase water for the environment from the many willing sellers across NSW.
"The Murray Darling Basin Plan was designed to address the overallocation of water, and yet we keep hearing fairytale stories that amount to 'more dams will magically create more water'", NCC CEO Jacqui Mumford said today.
"With the Murray Darling Basin Council (MINCO) meeting expected at the start of August, it's time for NSW Government to step up and support the Commonwealth purchasing water from willing sellers" she said.
It is a constitutional requirement that state governments agree to the federal government purchasing water.
"We are calling for assurances from the NSW Government that they will fulfil their election promise by supporting the only viable way to deliver on the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which is to purchase water from the many willing sellers across NSW.
"It's critical that we stop relying on 'engineering' solutions that are either unproven or proven to not work" Mumford continued.
"Any further delay to water purchases only benefits water barons and large corporate irrigators, who profit from being allowed to continue to suck up water earmarked for the environment."
Statements attributable to NCC Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Mumford:
"The previous NSW Government undermined the Murray Darling Basin Plan wherever they could. We've been delighted to hear NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson reaffirm her election commitment to implement the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full.
"However, Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek flagged 'tough negotiations are underway' with the states.
"As we enter another period of drought it's critical that this water is delivered on time, as further delays will devastate people and the environment.
"We need to recognise the scale of the problem we are facing."
"Entire communities have run out of water, and ecosystems are collapsing before our eyes. The Murray-Darling Basin has 90 per cent less native fish than 150 years ago"
Statement ends
