Ord expansion waste of money:Flannery
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Dr Tim Flannery says the Ord Valley can't sustain large food crops. (ABC: Landline)
A high profile scientist and environmentalist has rejected the proposed expansion of the Kimberley's Ord Irrigation scheme as a waste of taxpayers' money.
The 2007 Australian of the Year Tim Flannery says it has been proven over 40 years that the Ord Valley can not sustain large food crops.
He says government money should be directed at improving the sustainability of the Kimberley pastoral industry instead.
"People live in an eternal state of optimism up there," he said.
"As we found as we went across the Kimberley, Humpty Doo was first, then the Fitzroy River scheme and the Ord River Scheme all wanting to turn the north in to a food basket all coming up dry pretty much."
Professor Flannery says he would be very happy if Ord growers could make a success of the scheme, but they must go it alone and not rely on government subsidies.
