We must push to separate

Dear Editor,

The removal of water from productive use by the Murray Darling Basin Authority proves that water management is not based on geological or hydrological reality.

The removal of water is actually based on political reality.

Any federal or state government that assists the irrigation industry (and also the many people indirectly reliant) will lose a huge number of Green oriented voters in the metropolitan areas, and will most probably lose government.

Therefore, no federal or state government will assist the irrigation industry.

The water management debacle is a political problem, and a political solution needs to be found.

Yet it doesn’t matter who the people in irrigation areas elect to federal or state parliament, they simply do not have the numbers to make any difference.

The only political solution that will preserve the irrigation industry — and the livelihoods of the many people reliant on it — is the people in the Riverina (and Northern Victoria) separating from NSW (and possibly Victoria) and forming a Riverina State.

A Riverina State will have authority over all the water and other natural resources within its area and will manage these in the way most beneficial to its own people.

A Riverina state is needed, and is needed now!

Yours etc. David Landini Wakool