FOR the first time in five years, Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton this week launched a disallowance motion in the Legislative Assembly to block floodplain harvesting regulation.
Mrs Dalton said that for the NSW Government to serve up the regulation unchanged after it has already been thrown out of the Legislative Council three times, showed the “sheer contempt” in which the Liberal and National parties hold the people of this state.
Mrs Dalton said the regulation has been “overwhelmingly rejected” by First Nations, communities, recreational fishers, floodplain graziers, riparian farmers, academics, scientists and southern basin irrigators.
An Upper House inquiry last year received 263 submissions – and more than 78 per cent opposed the licensing process.
“Floodplain harvesting licensing volumes are currently sitting around 350GL – about enough to fill Sydney Harbour seven times over – and include a 500 per cent carryover,” she said.
“Yet this mockery of a government knows it only allows those floodplain harvesters 46GL.
“The carte blanche for their landed supporters in the north of the state means current licensing volumes will severely impact staple food production and the health of our iconic river system.
“That’s where the domino effect kicks in, when the Darling collapses the pressure simply moves downstream and the health of the rivers and the volume of water for both NSW and Victoria will be thrown out the window.”
Mrs Dalton said the regulation was the continuation of a long-term campaign by the Coalition, intent on decommissioning the Darling River for decades.
“Even though we lost the disallowance … I will continue to fight for a fair go for Murray and everything dependent on the sustainability of our river system,” she said.
