Government Discovers People Live West of the Divide

It seems that the "Murray Darling Basin" isn't just a bit of plumbing that provides Adelaide with its drinking water. Politicians are starting to discover that people actually live west of the Great Divide and that they don't take kindly to their businesses and communities being decimated by the environmentalists. It may actually be starting to dawn on them that people here also vote and pay taxes, whereas wetlands and frogs don't.

I actually believe that the system needs to be managed more fairly and perhaps with more regard for the environment than in the past. But shutting down agriculture is not the way to do it. What about actual investment to reduce losses to evaporation and seepage?

Maybe the pollies will sit up and take notice...

From the ABC:

Inquiry called as basin plan anger grows

Independent MP Tony Windsor will head up a six-month federal parliamentary inquiry into the impact of water cuts on communities in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean, and Water Minister Tony Burke announced the establishment of the inquiry today as anger grows among towns throughout the basin over the plan.

Irrigators are facing cuts in their water allocations of up to 45 per cent to achieve a basin-wide reduction of between 3,000 to 4,000 gigalitres, as recommended by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).

Mr Burke says the inquiry will allow for more consultation with communities.

"The work currently being conducted by the independent authority doesn't change the fact that there needs to be a direct engagement from the Parliament," he said.

The news that Mr Windsor will chair the inquiry comes as the independent MP calls for the Government to consider other ways to return more water to the basin, including below ground storage and combating evaporative lossse.