COMMENTARY continues around the Murray-Darling Basin Plan changes being proposed by Water Minister Tanya Plibersek.
What is most concerning is her own comments, which show a serious lack of understanding around the importance of water for growing food, and the impact on communities from recovering the additional 450GL.
Unfortunately, for political reasons, she shows little acknowledgement of the potential to adopt solutions that would negate the need for damaging buybacks.
It is no wonder Ms Plibersek refuses to visit the regions of northern Victoria and southern NSW that will be impacted by her penchant to prioritise environmental and South Australian votes over what is in the best interests of our nation’s future.
If she continued with the arguments she has used thus far, she would be made to look rather stupid by local people who have lived experience with water policy and management, rather than a brief introduction from conflicted bureaucrats who are generally focused on supporting a minister’s ideologies to save their jobs.
Ms Plibersek has argued the impact of recovering the additional 450GL is “overstated” as are, she says, claims around increases to the cost of food. Such comments do little other than highlight the minister’s naivety.
Quite simply, recovering the water through buybacks will lead to job losses and business closures, as has been proven beyond doubt with past buybacks.
Stuart Hipwell
Wunghnu
