FARMERS say the future of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan hangs in the balance today with Canberra set determine the fate of reliant communities and the environment.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation president Stuart Armitage said it was frustrating and disappointing to again be in a ‘minutes to midnight’ situation where the fate of communities and the environment had been left up to the uncertainty of cross-bench senators.
“The announcement last week that Labor will support the Greens disallowance motion to recover a further 70 gigalitres from the Northern Basin not only goes against the recommendations from a four-year independent process that Labor put in place when in government, it places all hope on minority party senators,” Mr Armitage said.
“Picking and choosing parts of the plan to serve short-term political interests compromises the integrity of the entire Murray-Darling Basin Plan. This not in Queensland’s or any other basin state’s interest.
“By letting the plan fall apart now politicians are showing contempt for the sacrifices of basin communities and they will undermine and may even unravel the progress already made.
“If senators are serious about the environment and the future of communities along the length and breadth of the Murray-Darling Basin then they will do the right thing and vote down this politically reckless motion.”