Northern Victorian Mayors are calling on the Federal Government to put communities at the heart of the remaining implementation of the Basin Plan and to reject open tender buy backs.
Mayors from the Murray River Group of Councils in northern Victoria spoke at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday to urge the Commonwealth to urgently rethink its approach to the Basin Plan.
The rush to recover water through open tender buy backs regardless of the impact on communities was a key concern of Councils along with the grossly inadequate “compensation” figure offered to communities in return for the socio-economic harm that open tender buy backs would bring.
Speaking yesterday in Canberra where Local Councils from around Australia were meeting, the Chair of the Murray River Group of Councils, Cr Ross Stanton warned that buying back water through one on one deals from anywhere across the southern Basin, without a strategic plan developed with communities, would be the worst outcome for all Australians.
“We urge Minister Plibersek and the whole Albanese government to respect regional communities and work with us to deliver genuine and lasting environmental outcomes, and a sustainable irrigation future for northern Victoria” Cr Stanton said.
Image thanks to Anne Webster MP’s office
L to R above: Cr Rob Amos, Mayor of Campaspe Shire; Sam Birrell MP, Member for Nichols; Geoff Rollinson, CEO, Gannawarra Shire; Dr Anne Webster MP, Member for Mallee; Cr Liam Wood, Mayor of Mildura Rural City Council; Senator Perin Davey; Cr Stuart King, Mayor Swan Hill Rural City Council, Cr Mark Eckel Mildura Rural City Council; Suzanna Sheed, Administrator, Moira Shire, Cr Ross Stanton, Chiar Murray River Group of Councils, Mayor Gannawarra Shire; Matthew Morgan CEO Moira Shire.
