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Basin plan fears

Posted on February 10, 2012

By BEN PISCIONERI

THE Murray Darling Basin Authority’s new draft plan for water could jeopardise one of Sunraysia’s only hopes for a horticulture revival according to a prominent irrigator.

Scenes from the previous MDBA draft plan consultation meetings at the Midway Community Centre.

Sunraysia Irrigators Council chairman, Danny Lee, who has been a long time campaigner for irrigators, said foreign investment in horticulture could be the only hope for Sunraysia irrigators.

But he says uncertainty over water security already has some foreign investors nervous, which could wipe out what could be the last chance to revive the district’s shattered horticulture industry.

Mr Lee’s comments coincide with the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s public consultation meetings in Mildura today at The Setts Bar and Function Centre.

Today’s meetings will be split into two sessions. The first, described as an open-house drop-in session, will allow people to discuss Basin Plan issues with MDBA staff in detail. This session will run from 11am to 1pm.

A larger public meeting will start from 2pm and run through until 5pm.

A similar public consultation meeting in the wake of the MDBA’s first draft plan for the Murray Darling Basin, held at the Midway Community Centre in October 2010, sparked angry scenes as more than 1000 people turned out, many in protest to the Federal Government’s plans.

That plan was heavily criticised for its lack of community input and failure to address social and economic consequences.

It ultimately resulted in the shock resignation of MDBA chairman, Michael Taylor
This second draft plan has been described by many irrigators as merely a ‘softer’ version of the original plan.

It proposes irrigation water cuts of 2750 gigalitres per year by 2019, sparking anger from both sides of the argument.

Irrigators say the reduction is too high while environmentalists claim the figure falls well short of what is needed for the survival of the Murray Darling Basin.

Almost half the the proposed water savings have already been made through water buybacks and more efficient water infrastructure, leaving 1468 gigalitres per year.

The MDBA claims 400 gigalitres can be recovered through future investments in water-saving infrastructure, leaving 1000 gigalitres, which it says must be recovered through other measures.

However the Government has stressed there would be no compulsory acquisition of water, stating it was committed to making the required water savings through water-saving infrastructure and purchases from “voluntary sellers”.

Mr Lee, who was one of the more prominent protestors at the 2010 public consultation meetings, said he doubts he’ll even attend today’s sessions.

He said most irrigators had “resigned themselves” to the new plan.

“What we’re confronted with now is nothing new. This has been coming for 10 years,” Mr Lee said this week.

“I remember saying back in the late 1990s they wanted to reduce irrigation by 30 percent in the Murray Darling Basin and this plan will do that.

“No, it (today’s meetings) will make everyone feel good. These people are professional listeners doing the government’s bidding, nothing is going to change because of these meetings.”

Mr Lee said this week uncertainty over water security created by the draft plan could discourage foreign investment in Sunraysia, investment he described as Sunraysia’s “only salvation”.

“The only salvation for this district is foreign investment, because no-one else is going to invest in horticulture,” he said.

“There aren’t too many people locally who can afford to invest, superannuation firms aren’t going to invest after the failure of management investment schemes and the banks aren’t investing. No, our only hope is to attract someone from countries like China to invest here.”

Mr Lee said Chinese investors were already making moves to grow produce in Sunraysia and then send it back to China.

He said horticulturists should still be trying to grow their own produce and sell it overseas, but stressed the opportunities presented by foreign investors.
“We should be telling them there’s land and water here, it just needs someone to put some money into it,” Mr Lee said.

“We can do the work, we just need the investment.”

“It will produce the food they want, while boosting the value of our farmland and creating employment.

“But this water plan puts that at risk. We have to convince foreign investors there’s water here.

“Maybe it’s time to tell this government that Asia wants to put billions in to agriculture, so leave our water alone.”

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