Wong’s open ended buy-back disaster for regional economies
August 11, 2010
Labor Minister for Water Penny Wong yesterday triumphantly announced that she would expand the Labor Government’s water buy back scheme.
Minister Wong and Prime Minister Gillard yesterday claimed the government would buy-back as much water as possible to put down Murray Darling Basin rivers. This is despite them not knowing or not announcing what the Murray Darling Basin Authority has said about sustainability yields.
Dr Sharman Stone, Federal Member for Murray said the Water Minister has opened her cheque book again, this time with virtually an open ended buy-back.
“Minister Wong made no mention of the impacts these purchases have on regional economies, local families and jobs. She seems to imagine the buy-backs occur in a vacuum.
“She has not mentioned any compensation or adjustment support needed.
“Furthermore, the Environment consists of more than just rivers. The landscape also forms an important part of the environment. By killing off our irrigations viability, Penny Wong is also degrading the landscape. She has to consider how our countryside looks at the height of the summer, and when it does not rain.”
Dr Stone said any buy-backs must be very strategic and take into account stranded assets and areas that can no longer grow enough food to sustain food factories, manufacturing and jobs.
“It seems the Labor Government is so city centric and captured by the Greens that it doesn’t understand or care at all what the consequences are of their actions,” Sharman Stone said.
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