The Riverina community has been dealt another blow with confirmation SunRice will cut 92 positions across its Deniliquin, Leeton and Australian Grain Storage operations, with 78 workers set to lose their jobs.
Only 14 of the 92 workers are able to be redeployed to other areas of the business.
Federal Nationals Member for Riverina and Shadow Minister for Water, Michael McCormack, said the job losses were a direct consequence of the Labor Government's relentless pursuit of water buybacks.
"When you take water out of production, regional industry suffers. Today it is SunRice workers in Deniliquin and Leeton paying the price for a policy written in Canberra," Mr McCormack said.
"The growers, millers, transport workers and contractors also now face an uncertain future through no fault of their own. They didn't make the decisions that cost them their jobs. The government did."
Mr McCormack said the pattern reflected years of water being progressively stripped out of the Murray-Darling Basin, with real consequences flowing through to mills, transport depots and towns.
"Enough is enough. Every additional buyback puts more jobs and more regional towns at risk. It's time to immediately stop this policy before more families pay the price."
"Water policy cannot keep being written as though regional jobs and towns don't matter. Today, 78 Riverina families are learning that the hard way."
