ABC Online and ABC Radio National this morning suggested that “The New South Wales Government is under pressure to take action against landholders who have been accused of stealing water from the Macquarie Marshes in the state’s north-west…
“A report conducted by the inland rivers network reveals some farmers have diverted [environmental flow] water for private use.
“Aerial photographs taken by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation show water released as part of the environmental flow was diverted.” [to keep reading click here]
Macquarie River irrigators, in particular Chris Hogendyk, have been trying to get the ABC to report his issue for some time/years. Now it has been repackaged including by some of the culprits and/or deniers – at least that was the impression I got when I heard the story and interviews on radio national this morning – Sarah Clarke gives it a run.
Some of my many blog posts on the issue with pictures of the levies can be found here: http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/faq.php?id=14&category=17
A piece written for On Line Opinion can be found here: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4377
I am keen to get a transcript of the comment from the various graziers and scientist as broadcast on radio national this morning. Can anyone help?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Jennifer: May I draw your attention to the “exclusive” Canberra Times report on the front page headed “Farms in illegal water grab”. The accompanying photo shows major water diversion works. I have yet to open the lift out story in Times 2
See later on today, http://canberra.yourguide.com.au
The issue being reported here is an extremely serious one and one that is having a significant impact on the Macquarie Marshes but one that is NOT due to diversions by irrigators.
There are a huge network of banks and channels in the marshes that divert water away from recognised wetlands onto the floodplain to create new wetlands for the express purpose of grazing. Many of these images can be seen on Jennifers earlier blogs. The issue with the image of water in a channel relates to an irrigator putting a small quantity of water (some 100 megalitres) into a storage borrow pit for stock water during the height of the drought. This is no different to actions of many other people who were seeking to keep stock alive at this time. Let us hope that this media attention gives us some political will to solve this huge problem.
problem.
My guess is this bit from Rossly Beeby’s leading Canberra Times article today sums it up
“Farmers in the region told The Canberra Times that water theft was causing tension, resentment and suspicion in communities across the Murray-Darling Basin.
Quambone farmer and Macquarie Marshes Environmental Landholders’ Association spokeswoman Sue Jones said water theft was also occurring in the Gwydir wetlands and Lachlan River flood plains, but the problem was difficult to monitor.
“The Government only has a couple of compliance officers and they are responsible for a huge area. There’s no way they can properly check on what’s going on.”
Most farmers wanted the NSW Government to conduct an open investigation into the problem and to commit to improved metering on the river, “so any anomalies in flows can be quickly detected and rectified”, she said.
Times 2 goes on with “’Paradise lost – water hungry agribusiness developments are sucking the marshes dry”.
My mate over the breakfast table while glancing through Times 2 and listening to comments on ABC in her way said; “farmers should be made to forfeit these lands”