A delegation from the Murray River Group of Councils (MRGC) led by Chair, Cr Dan Straub, met with Federal Water Minister, Murray Watt MP, in Canberra last week.
The Chair highlighted the vital role that water plays in sustaining northern Victorian communities.
“Across the Murray River Group of Councils region, agriculture and food manufacturing underpin everything. Our region produces more than $8.3 billion in food every year, and around 16,000 local jobs are tied directly to this,” Cr Straub said.
“Our councils and communities are on the frontline of the Basin Plan’s impacts and it is vital that our voices are heard, that’s why we came to Canberra.”
“The meeting was positive and the discussion open which was welcome.”
“We were able to tell of our belief that the Basin Plan is not delivering for our region.”
“We don’t support buy backs, and especially the Government’s current, nonstrategic programs of open market water purchases as these put our irrigation districts and our farmers at risk.”
MRGC emphasised to the Minister the importance of genuine investment to offset the negative impacts of the Basin Plan.
“We are all committed to protecting our rivers, wetlands and floodplains,” Cr Straub said.
