Inquiry called as basin plan anger grows
Updated
Men burn copies of the Murray-Darling Basin guide. (AAP : Gabrielle Dunlevy)
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 losses.
"I think we've got to examine all the options so that those communities don't die," Mr Windsor said.
"All of those things need to be on the table and they're not at the moment."
Mr Burke says the Government will consider other options.
"There's some proposals that are starting to come through the consultation now about how we can be more efficient in our management of the environmental assets," he said.
There were heated scenes in the New South Wales town of Griffith today as residents turned out to hear a briefing by the authority on its guide.
Some demanded to know why Mr Burke and Mr Windsor were not present, while others burned copies of the guide in the streets.
But Mr Windsor says those kinds of reactions will not help.
"By all means express anger and frustration, but at the end of the day, that won't win anything in relation to this," he said.
"We've got to be objective about this, we've got to look at the numbers, critically analyse what they're suggesting."
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Mr Burke is not attending the meetings because the authority is independent from the Government.
"I think Australians across the board are concerned about the future of the Murray-Darling Basin and we want to hear all views," she said.
"The MDBA has a process to do that."
Mr Burke says he understands people's frustrations, but has reiterated that the Government will not compulsorily buy back water.
As Griffith residents turned out to the briefing today, a report commissioned by the authority said that banks who do business in the basin believe towns such as Griffith will die if they do not have adequate access to water.
But Mr Burke says he does not think this will happen.
"I don't believe that'll be the outcome if we go through the long consultation process that we've got here," he said.
Coalition water spokesman Barnaby Joyce wants the Government to abandon its commitment to adopt the final recommendations of the authority.
"The Coalition will accept a good plan, but not a plan to shut down whole communities, threaten thousands of jobs and resign Australia to becoming a net food importer."
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