Shadow Minister for Regional Development Infrastructure and Water Barnaby Joyce, Member for Mallee John Forrest and South Australian Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin.
Senator Barnaby Joyce concluded his tour of the Riverland in Mildura today. He thanked the participants who gave critical feedback to him and to Senator Simon Birmingham about the needs and requirements of the Lower Murray Darling system.
After a series of meetings in towns, parks and packing sheds and a dinner last night, Senator Joyce said, “One common theme is that the people want recognition that the river is vital to their economic base and social structure. The government needs to accept that they are eminently well qualified to understand the environmental issues as they live on the river.”
“Irrigators want security and they currently hold fears that the Labor Government is about to orchestrate another theft of water from them. In some instances, this could have severe economic consequences in the towns along the basin.
At the lower end more water is required and this would be assisted if the Labor party had completed their redevelopment of the Menindee storage lakes.
It was refreshing to speak to people who are willing to think outside the box and get new water into the system. It appears that the logic of people in the basin has not yet been snuffed out by political correctness.”
Senator Joyce will visit other sections of the river system in the coming weeks and welcomes further input from the community.