THE government giveth and the government taketh away. Well, almost! In reality if you live in a rural community the Albanese Government giveth little and taketh lots.
It continues to remove water from farmers, which has significant adverse impacts on our rural and regional towns. Additionally, as we grow less food the price continues to increase, exacerbating the cost of living crisis.
This week the Water Minister Tanya Plibersek (has there ever been a minister so out of touch with the realities of their portfolio?), acknowledging damage to these towns, announced a $300 million adjustment package, spruiking its so-called generosity.
Methinks the esteemed minister is missing something. She is happy to remove potentially billions of dollars in economic output from our farmers, and replace it with a pitiful $300 million. Sorry, but in my eyes that doesn’t constitute “generous”.
I think the approach to the Basin Plan by Minister Plibersek and her government could more accurately be described as “irresponsible”.
Those who live and breathe our river systems, and have more desire to protect our local environment than any city-based politician or environmentalist, can see the current pathway under the plan will end badly for both the environment and our rural communities, and force everyone in the city to pay more at the supermarket.
And let’s not even go near the issue we will have with future flooding to public and private infrastructure, which is another inevitable consequence of the Basin Plan as we increase the volumes that are stored in dams.
May the Good Lord save us from this policy disaster.
Ron and Val McWhae,
Barham, NSW
