John Cobb (Calare, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the farmers in the debate on Murray-Darling water management. I rise to speak about the farmers who have been the fall guys for bad state government decisions in the past and who do not want to be for bad federal government decisions in the future. Everyone, especially the farmers, knows that state governments have over-allocated water resources; however, in the Living Murray debate in 2003, three options were put on the table to save our river system. The science-recommended 1,500 gigalitre reduction was the highest option and was considered the optimum for the environment. Just seven years on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority has recommended that 7,000 gigalitres, or five times that recommendation, is required. How can our rural communities put any faith in the science? The confidence of the community in the Labor government is shattered. Is it any wonder that the banks are looking to change their banking practices in these communities? They have been hung out to dry by the Labor-Greens alliance. That Labor-Greens alliance is driving the debate far beyond anything that was ever envisaged when the Murray-Darling Basin Authority was first mooted, when it was ever given the task of dealing with our river system.