Murray River is thirsty, but Brumby doesn't care

[Squawk]

If you needed any evidence about whether Victorian Premier Brumby sees the health of the Murray River as being a National issue or simply a preservation issue for Victoria, read his media statement post COAG....

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/newsroom/coag-water-agreement-good-for-victoria.html

COAG WATER AGREEMENT GOOD FOR VICTORIA
Thursday, 03 July 2008
Premier John Brumby today described the water agreement reached at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting as not only a great outcome for Victoria but the nation as a whole.

Mr Brumby said at the meeting of all States and Territories and the Commonwealth an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was signed which implements the historic Memorandum of Understanding agreed to at the last meeting in Adelaide.

“The signing of this IGA protects Victoria’s water shares and helps provide security to our farmers, irrigators and communities in the Murray Darling Basin,” Mr Brumby said.
Mr Brumby welcomed the further $106 million in infrastructure upgrades for the Sunraysia Modernisation Project for the Mildura region.

“When I visited Mildura in March following the Adelaide COAGmeeting, local irrigators presented to me their plan for major infrastructure improvement. Today we have secured funding for this,” he said.

Mr Brumby said the meeting re-stated its ambition to lifting the water trading cap from four per cent to six per cent at the end of 2009.

Any shift from four per cent would only occur following extensive community consultation with farmers and communities affected by a change in the cap.

The Commonwealth also agreed to consider financial support for affected communities through priority projects involving managed buyouts and closure arrangements.

“COAG today was able to reach a sensible position going forward on the water trading cap which will protect Victorian irrigators and allow for consultation with communities and farming groups over the next 12 months,” Mr Brumby said.

“Water is the lifeblood for farmers and communities right along the Murray Darling Basin who are suffering from 12 years of drought and facing the reality of climate change.

The four per cent cap annual limit on permanent trade out of an irrigation district was introduced to help communities adjust gradually over time as water left their area.

Mr Brumby said the Victorian Government would only consider agreeing to increase the cap from four per cent to six per cent in 2009 if a number of strict conditions were met.

“All states have an obligation to invest in on-farm and irrigation upgrades so that water savings can be achieved,” he said.

“The $2 billon Food Bowl Modernisation Project, Australia’s biggest ever irrigation project, is a great example of how this can be done as it will increase system efficiency and deliver more water savings to farmers and to our stressed river systems.”


Mr Brumby said the Mildura region was a big winner from today’s agreement with $106 million to be provided for the Sunraysia Modernisation Project.

The Sunraysia Modernisation Project will upgrade pumping arrangements as well as either pipelining or relining channels as part of a major renewal project which will save around 10 GL.

“This will help towards providing a long term sustainable future for one of Australia’s fastest growing and most important regional communities,” he said.

Mr Brumby agreed that more needed to be done to improve the health of the Murray Darling Basin and supported the package agreed to today for the lower lakes in South Australia.

“This is an important part of the Basin and these emergency measures will help the region,” he said.

If you want to write to Brumby, here is the link. *The irony is that where you are asked to nominate your home state, you only have one option - Victoria!

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/component/option,com_forme/fid,2/Itemid,61/

ASK THE PREMIER
Simply fill in the form provided to contact the Premier with your question.
To ensure you receive a reply make sure you fill in all required fields correctly.*

[mick]

Neither does Kevin

[The Big Shrek]

I hate cooperative federalism. It doesn't work as Sqwuak's post shows. Rather than this negotiating rubbish at COAG, Rudd should have wangled the external affairs or corporations power to just take complete control of the Murray.

[Psyber]

I hate cooperative federalism. It doesn't work as Sqwuak's post shows. Rather than this negotiating rubbish at COAG, Rudd should have wangled the external affairs or corporations power to just take complete control of the Murray.

Not there's something we agree on.

[Squawk]

Exactly. And Rann should have wielded his stick as Labor Party President and said that National interest was bigger than state interest, JOHN!

[redden whites]

its his water.fair enough

[Psyber]

its his water.fair enough

Yes, those upstream have always been regarded as having prior rights, all over the world.
That's why the Colorado River doesn't reach Mexico any more...

It needs a national take over, negotiation is never going to work.
On the other hand residents in the Goulburn Valley are yelling about Brumby stealing their water to pipe it to Melbourne.

[Sojourner]

Yet another reason to emphasise why State Governments have come to the end of their time and should be abolished!

[The Big Shrek]

No, it's just an example of where the federal government should take over, or should have been given legislative control in the first place of something.

[Squawk]

No, it's just an example of where the federal government should take over, or should have been given legislative control in the first place of something.

Constitutionally, the Federal Govt can take control. Politically, they dont want to. It would be like the "Victorian intervention" for water as the NT intervention was for indigenous welfare.

[The Big Shrek]

I think Howard threatened to, didn't he?

[Psyber]

I think Howard threatened to, didn't he?

I think he raised the possibility, without actually making a direct threat. It's a pity he didn't do it before the change of government.
I'm waiting for the next backdown that gives Telstra the broadband monopoly in Australia - ambivalently, I should add because I dislike monopolies but I own T1 shares....

[PitBull]

With hard times to come you would think fedral gov would stimulate the economy with providing jobs instead of handing out money.With Queensland recording record rainfall Tully 2 meters in the last 6 weeks and that much fresh water flowing out to sea it is killing the reef. As the river murray will never recover from its current form of abuse the only way you will repair it is to put more water in it. Im sure if we could build a railway from north to south and east to west over the country at the start of the century why cant we build a pipeline. Water is and all ways will be a long term problem why don't our polies reach an agrement on a solution to repair rather than blame each other and penalise people for having small luxuries eg small green lawn for their kids to play on. Time for our little revenue raises in parliment to fix it.

[mypaddock]

With hard times to come you would think fedral gov would stimulate the economy with providing jobs instead of handing out money.With Queensland recording record rainfall Tully 2 meters in the last 6 weeks and that much fresh water flowing out to sea it is killing the reef. As the river murray will never recover from its current form of abuse the only way you will repair it is to put more water in it. Im sure if we could build a railway from north to south and east to west over the country at the start of the century why cant we build a pipeline. Water is and all ways will be a long term problem why don't our polies reach an agrement on a solution to repair rather than blame each other and penalise people for having small luxuries eg small green lawn for their kids to play on. Time for our little revenue raises in parliment to fix it.

Exactly, surely the excess rainfall from the tropical areas of Australia can somehow be redistributed to drought stricken areas.
IN the end politics is about winning votes and making money and unfortunately handing out $900 is going to win them more votes than saving the most precious resource we have.