2019-01-29
The Murray Darling Basin Plan’s compromised legal status must be taken seriously by the SA and Federal governments following the delivery of the SA Royal Commissioner’s report, the Greens say.
“Reports that the plan designed to save the River is failing to meet its environmental objectives and may be unlawful are deeply concerning. It becomes clearer as each day goes by that the Murray Darling Basin has been mismanaged and corrupted, by political and corporate interests," Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The South Australian Royal Commissioner has raised a red flag on the legality of the management of our river system and there are serious questions to answer.
“Both evidence to the Royal Commission, and the Federal Government’s own Productivity Commission report into the Murray Darling Basin Plan have shown the environment has been undermined by vested interests, and the science ignored. Well, it is no surprise that it is dying right before our eyes.
“The South Australian Liberal Government must release the Commissioner’s final report immediately and explain to the public what they are doing to stand up for our River and for South Australia.
“Australian taxpayers are spending $13 billion on a Plan to save the River system. But the River has been sacrificed to prop up big corporate irrigators and do favours for political donors. We need to lift the freeze on buybacks, place an embargo on corporate cotton irrigators taking water from the river and harvesting overland flows, and launch a federal Royal Commission.”