Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Reports yesterday suggested irrigators—they are the people who grow the food and fibre to feed and clothe this nation, in case those on that side are not aware—will be forced to deliver even more water to the Murray-Darling. This follows a decision by the Labor government to secretly undercut the value of irrigators' water.

Family farmers discovered only last week, much to their dismay, that the water minister had cut exchange rates on water bought under the government's $3.1 billion water purchasing program. Bureaucrats, it seems, slashed the average annual volume of water irrigators' high and general security entitlements delivered to the environment, yet failed to notify irrigators or even state governments. The reductions in the environmental value of water were 12 per cent for the Murrumbidgee and nine per cent for New South Wales Murray irrigators. Not only does this erode the value of water already recovered, it effectively means irrigators must now deliver even more to meet the basin plan of an additional 2,800 gigalitres for the environment.

As New South Wales Irrigators Council chief executive officer Andrew Gregson said:

Just like the Guide (to the basin plan), this was done entirely without consultation. Like the Guide, it will not be received well by the tens of thousands whose jobs rely on this, by the family farms that risk closure or by the fresh food buyer whose weekly shopping bill goes up.

The draft basin plan is due out this month. Its contents have already been deliberately leaked by the independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority. Labor and the authority need to know that the communities I represent, especially Griffith, Coleambally and Leeton, will not sit idly by whilst they go about destroying the very reason for the existence of those wonderful and once booming towns.

Meanwhile, the report from the inquiry by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia headed by the Independent member for New England, which was tabled on 2 June, still awaits formal recognition, and its 21 recommendations have not been acted upon.

Every day, despair and uncertainty grow in the Coleambally and Murrumbidgee irrigation areas. Every day, more investment is put on hold. Only this morning I was told of a significant Riverina development which has been held over—for who knows how long—because of genuine fears about future water availability and security. When will Labor stop kowtowing to the Greens, whose uncosted, irresponsible policies would destroy regional communities, place our ability to feed ourselves at real risk and ultimately do nothing for the environment?

This is not based on science. It is based on a Labor cover-up and a Greens con. The Gillard government has spent more than $4.5 million on water buybacks in the Murrumbidgee but does not expect those purchases to deliver any extra water to the environment, according to radically altered data on the basin buyback scheme. The data shows that the government has bought more than 20,821 megalitres of productive water from farmers in the Murrumbidgee at $218 a megalitre, which amounts to just over $4.5 million. But the new figures show the expected average annual volume of water available for the environment from that buyback is nothing—written down from a previous estimate of 2,915 gigalitres at the end of August. The government has changed the rules in the middle of the game for basin communities anxiously awaiting the MDBA's final draft plan. Senator Joyce has called for the Auditor-General to investigate the buybacks. This is the proper course of action. A full explanation is required. This government has abjectly failed on the water issue. It continues to hurt farming families and refuses to strive for a triple-bottom-line approach.

Two recent emails from Riverina constituents highlight just how much people in my electorate are suffering. Virginia Tropeano, of Hanwood, wrote: 'For some time now, MDBA Chair Craig Knowles has been publicly throwing around the figure of 2,800 gigalitres as his suspected sustainable diversion limits under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, but he also says he has asked for modelling of 400 gigalitres each side of this figure. Therefore, it looks as though the lowest figure farmers in the basin can expect is 2,400 gigalitres. This is unbelievable. Did no-one listen at all? When Tony Windsor's report came out it looked as though someone had listened and maybe there would be some action. But what has happened? Nothing. Tony Burke is still continuing with his buybacks, and sham science is still being used to make preposterous claims about river health.'

Caroline Robertson, of Bilbul, had this say: 'My husband Chris and I were watching the Today show this morning, the 26th of October, and saw Julia Gillard in Western Australia announcing to the world that Australia is supporting developing nations by removing tariffs on imported products. I am sorry to admit it, but my eyes filled with tears. For many years now, we have faced the drought and alienation from Australians because we are those 'horrid rice farmers' who take all the water. How lucky at this stage we are such an affluent nation we do not have to rely on eating rice, but, oh, spare a though for the millions worldwide who do. Once we used to help feed these people. In the Griffith area, as I know you are well aware, morale is rock-bottom. How could a Prime Minister put sustainable food on an agenda and then ignore her own country? I am sorry to bother you with an emotional email from a very disheartened farmer's wife, but I would encourage you to continue to represent us as best you can so the nation sees we are part of it and once upon a time had a valuable contribution to make, even though it was using irrigation water.'

Those are heartfelt words indeed from people who not only care about their own futures but have the nation's best interests at heart, unlike those who would have all the water run wastefully, unused, down the rivers and eventually out to sea. (Time expired)