Water inequity favours South Australians
IT seems that injecting millions of dollars into South Australia is a rite a passage for incoming Federal Water Ministers.
In 2018, not long after becoming Water Minister, David Littleproud made his way to the great state with a $70 million cash splash.
Similarly, Minister Pitt has followed suit with a $22 million cash hand-out to the state with the fullest fresh water storages in the country within two weeks of taking possession of the poisoned chalice.
Is it any wonder upstream states are calling for a Royal Commission?
South Australia has reaped the benefits of the Murray Darling Basin Plan at the expense of food security and communities upstream, while at the same time destroying the Murray River and its environment along the way.
South Australia has numerous new irrigation developments, and river pumpers are allowed to pump water out of the river without water in their account; they can go into debit and settle it at the end of the month.
What other state is allowed such luxuries?
Alastair Starritt
Womboota, NSW
Politicians should back regional communities
THE Reserve Bank announced another 0.5% interest rate cut, bringing interest rates to an all time low.
The Reserve Bank said it has done everything in its power to ignite spending and it is up to the leadership of this country to put steps in place to bolster the economy and consumer confidence.
I know that regional communities in southern NSW and northern Victoria would love to do nothing more than spend money in their communities, but all they can do is watch as the input required for creating wealth flows past, going either unintentionally into forests to the Lower Lakes to evaporate or out to sea.
In the NSW Murray region alone the mismanagement of water has resulted in an estimated lost revenue to the region of $6 billion.
I’d imagine having this kind of money in communities might instill spending confidence.
Unfortunately we have a Prime Minister, and worse still a Deputy Prime Minister, who say they are representing the bush, who stand by and say there is “nothing to see here”.
Michael McCormack needs to make a choice; get behind regional communities who want to help make this country great again, or go down with the ship and allow this water waste and mismanagement to continue.
Laurelle Sheedy
Bankstown NSW
Duck shoot disgust
HOW disappointing and disgusting of the gutless Andrew’s Government to declare a Victorian duck shooting season this year.
Premier Daniel Andrews and the Labor Government are to be widely condemned for announcing a season particularly as there is absolutely no water anywhere for bird numbers to breed and feed.
While it is slightly heartening that the season only goes for five weeks it doesn’t prevent the fact that thousands of ducks and other bird species will lose their lives unnecessarily at the hands of those who display a blood lust in killing small defenceless animals.
Bird numbers and species are at critical levels Australia wide, for the Andrew’s Government to declare a modified season come May is death for the birds.
Daniel Andrew’s is clearly out of touch with reality.
While he has effectively stopped the logging of old growth forests he still supports those who go out of their way to destroy Victoria’s beautiful but fast diminishing wetlands and the native waterbird species that reside in them.
I personally invite Mr Andrews to attend an opening weekend of duck shooting.
He can witness the behaviour of those clearly under the influence of alcohol and drugs in possession of a deadly weapon.
He can see the terrible suffering of gut shot and wounded birds attempting to flee for their very lives, unable to escape from those who support this cowardly “sport.”
He can see the slow strangulation of waterbirds by duck shooters and see birds clearly still alive writhing and kicking on the belts of shooters. He can see the rubbish, crushed Aborigional Middens, broken nests, smashed eggs and human waste not buried that duck shooters leave behind year after year.
He can see the illegal behaviour of duck shooters shooting birds across the water without checking for safety of other people in the vicinity.
He can see that duck shooters do not support in any way struggling regional towns.
A large percentage of duck shooters come from Melbourne and they buy their supplies there where it is cheaper.
They camp on the so-called designated wetlands both legally and illegally.
It is an insult that the Victorian Government, the Game Management Authority, The Nationals, The Shooters and Fishers Party and Victorian Field and Game believe that duck shooters bring welcome money to struggling regional towns.
I can categorically and definitely say that over 24 years of rescuing ducks and waterbirds that duck shooters do not spend any money in regional towns except at local gun shops or pubs.
Kerang is well known for it’s natural beauty and wetlands.
Nature based tourism brings in billions of dollars to the Australian economy. One only needs to see Phillip Island’s famed fairy Penguins and the tourist dollars that go straight back into protecting this precious iconic bird.
People come to Kerang and the Mallee in their hundreds to see bird and animal species found nowhere else in Australia.
I find it inherently sad, disgusting, and sickening that an activity such as duck shooting is allowed
I implore the Andrew’s Government to put in a permanent ban of this vile activity.
Waterbird species should not have to exist so that those who take delight in killing such wonderful species kill them in a blood lust.
I for one welcome a government with the courage, conviction and vision to do this and thus encourage and support nature based tourism in Kerang and beyond.
Kate Bossence
Kerang
