Truss hears water buyback worries
Posted
Nationals' leader Warren Truss says he heard widespread concern about the impact of the Federal Government's water buyback on a visit to Deniliquin at the weekend.
Mr Truss says irrigators have labelled the buyback an unwanted intervention in the long-term affairs of the region.
Last week, Cabinet approved an extra $50 million to buy more water licences and the Government wants to work with the states to buy irrigation properties, as well as water, from whole communities.
Mr Truss says Labor should honour its election promise to fund upgrades and improvements to irrigation infrastructure.
"The reality is Labor doesn't know what to do, they're spending huge amounts of taxpayers' money but they're delivering no benefits to the environment, while undoubtedly having an adverse impact on many regional communities," he said.
Nationals' MP Kay Hull says the acceleration of the water buyback is going to mean cuts to services and job losses in the Riverina.
She says irrigators need an incentive to see the current drought through and continue to produce food.
Ms Hull says the social fabric of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area could be torn apart by the loss of the water.
"It will mean teachers will be lost, it will mean banks will again be lost. It will mean that there will be ... bus runs lost and the general community will not be able to withstand the onslaught of licences being sold out with nothing to replace them," she said.
