Guidelines For
Questioners At MDBA Plan Meetings –November, 2011
·
What is the specific evidence on which you state
the Basin is “unhealthy”, particularly after the recent wet years?
(The MDBA website states -“Our use of the
water in the Basin has changed how the rivers flow. These changes in
volume and timing have led to increases in salinity,
blue-green algal blooms and water quality degradation, while wetlands, red gum
forests, native fish and water bird populations are decreasing (my
emphasis). All of these features are symptoms of overuse and they are
what have led to the latest impetus for water reform.
What is the scientific basis for these
claimed symptoms? They are inconsistent with the practical observations of many
on-the-ground, knowledgeable, riparian dwellers.
·
Are you sure that you are not confusing the
natural results of a typical (but extreme) Australian dry period with chronic
“ill-health”?
·
Does the Authority accept that the ACF claim
that the Murray Darling Basin is on the point of “eco-collapse” is nonsense?
·
Given that the Water Sharing Plan guided allocations saw a cut of over 4,000 GL in
extractions during the recent drought and given that critical human needs and
assessed environmental needs have first priority; what is the point of the
Government buying entitlements?
Won’t this only prevent production when water is plentiful?
·
Does the Authority acknowledge the point made by
Harvard Professor John Briscoe that Australia achieved a rare accomplishment in
keeping the Murray River flowing when run-off was at all time (since European
settlement) record lows? Does the Authority acknowledge that this was achieved
by the existence of upstream storages, the Snowy River diversions and strict
limits on irrigation extractions? Does this not call for additional storages to
better spread the extreme variability of our river flows?
·
When, during the Millennium Drought, there was
no water available for irrigation extractions or to maintain the Lower Lakes in
there unnatural fresh water state, what was the logic for not allowing sea
water to enter the Lower Lakes as it always did under such dry conditions before
the Barrages were built?
·
Why does the report not examine the management
of Snowy Scheme diversions, particularly the use of Eucumbene Dam, the largest
storage feeding the Basin? Evidence suggests that Snowy Hydro are not required
to give sufficient weight to water conservation and supply considerations, consistent
with their hydro electricity generation objectives.
How about the lack of labour productivity improvements, Labor's winding back of the Hawke/Keating reforms, entrenched Qantas work practices being protected under the guise of job security,enhanced Union power and inflexibility and the flaws of the FWA arrangements?