RURAL DISCONNECT

Prime Minister’s comments highlight poor water record

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has inadvertently highlighted the massive disconnect between his government and some Australian rural communities during a speech in New York.

Mr Turnbull, talking about the need to effectively manage water resources, spruiked the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and what he called a “win:win” for agriculture and the environment.

But according to Speak Up campaign spokesperson Karen Macdonald, it did little but emphasise how totally out of touch the Prime Minister is with ‘on the ground’ reality.

Mrs Macdonald reiterated the Basin Plan is not a “win:win” as described by Mr Turnbull, and such a comment on the international stage was an insult to communities that are battling some of its appalling implementation.

‘‘The plan might be working in the Macquarie Valley, but that is definitely not the case in the Murray and Goulburn Valleys, which need affordable and reliable water for the food and fibre production which is the backbone of their economies and employment,’’ she said.

‘‘In the Murray Valley, where the unnecessary Basin Plan damage is undeniable, unfortunately visits from federal and state water ministers or their bureaucratic advisers are few and far between, if at all.’’

Mrs Macdonald went on to explain the crux of the problem was the lack of understanding by top political leaders and their advisers about the impacts of the basin plan on communities in the Murray and Goulburn Valleys.

The ‘‘win:win’’ Mr Turnbull describes is certainly not the definition that is used in the region’s most adversely impacted by the plan.

“If our senior government representatives and their bureaucratic advisers were to leave the comfort of their Sydney and Canberra offices and visit our part of the world they may be pleasantly surprised by the support and help they would receive from locals who have been living and breathing water management for many decades.

‘‘They might even find locals have ways to reduce the burden placed on taxpayers to implement the basin plan.’’

Mrs Macdonald added the trag- edy of the poor Basin Plan implementation was the untapped potential for it to provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

‘‘All we need is for people to get out of the capital cities and recognise the common-sense local solutions which can be developed by those who live, work and breathe this region.

‘‘Then we might have a chance of achieving Mr Turnbull’s ‘win:win’.

‘‘But this will not happen until we understand and acknowledge the need to find ecological outcomes in human dominated landscapes.

‘‘In its present form, despite what the Prime Minister wants to tell the world, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is destroying parts of our food bowl with no regard for recognising that food production and ecology can work together.’’

Mr Turnbull told the United Nations’ water panel that ‘‘effective governance is absolutely essential’’ and ‘‘water management challenges have always been very much first and foremost an Australian experience’’.

‘‘So when are we going to see ‘effective governance’ in our region, Mr Turnbull? And when are you going to show the leadership required to address our ‘ water management challenges’?’’

Mrs Macdonald urged local political representatives Sussan Ley and Adrian Piccoli to continue to demand their leaders and Cabinet colleagues get out of their comfort zones and down to this region. So must the bureaucrats who advise them, she said.