The statement from the newly appointed CEO of the National Farmers Federation and former executive director of Ricegrowers Australia, Matt Linnegar, that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan should deliver a balance between the environment, the economy and Basin communities, sadly adds the NFF to the list of groups and political parties proffering this misleading policy blancmange, apparently prefaced on the fallacy that environmental stewardship poses a threat to the future of Basin communities.
National coordinator of Fair Water Use, Ian Douglas, commented today, “It is particularly disappointing that, whereas the majority of today’s schoolchildren understand that only a healthy environment can sustain us in the long term, a peak body such as the NFF seems ignorant of or chooses to ignore the fact.”
“If the Basin Plan is not founded on such a principle, it will fail to turn around the degradation of Basin ecosystems as a result of endemic overexploitation – and regional communities will also continue to decay”, he added.
Dr Douglas concluded, “It appears that those pushing the “balanced-approach” wheelbarrow are motivated by vested interest – be it pure political opportunism or a misguided attempt to minimise short term impacts on the irrigation sector by adulteration of the Basin Plan – and not by a genuine intent to do what is best for the longterm future of regional communities or the country as a whole”.
Authorised by:
Kate McLeod (Campaign Coordinator)
campaign@fairwateruse.com.au
+61 (0)8 8398 0812
