Murray-Darling Basin Plan Submission
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TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON AS A FARMER WITH THE LONGEST RIVER FRONTAGE ON THE YEA RIVER AS WELL AS FRONTAGE ON THE MURRINDINDI RIVER IN THE UPPER GOULBURN CATCHMENT FOR 40 YEARS , ALSO I HAVE SERVED AS A YEA SHIRE COUNCILLOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE YEA RIVER IMPROVEMENT TRUST, I WISH TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION __________ FIRSTLY I AM APPALLED AT THE LACK OF COMMONSENSE WITH THE PROPOSED MDBA ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS DOWN THE GOULBURN RIVER WHERE THE PROPOSED FLOWS ARE DOUBLE THE IN CHANNEL CAPACITY OF THE GOULBURN IN THE MOLESWORTH ,YEA REGION WITHOUT ANY APPARENT CONSIDERATION OF THE DAMAGE TO FREEHOLD FARMS AND COMMUNITIES ________ SECONDLY THE REAL ISSUE IS THE NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WATER DOWNSTREAM OF SHEPPARTON _____ THIRDLY THE ISSUE IS THE LACK OF LATERAL THINKING AND THE APPARENT INABILITY TO CHANGE AND LOOK AT THE BROKEN RIVER WHICH JOINS THE GOULBURN AT SHEPPARTON. THE BROKEN CAUSES MAJOR FLOODS AT BENALLA AND SHEPPARTON HENCE THERE IS NEED TO REVISIT LAKE MOKOAN AS A FLOOD MITIGATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL WATER STORAGE FACILITY RATHER THAN A WETLAND AT PRESENT LAKE MOKOAN HAS A STORAGE CAPACITY OF 365000 ML BUT TO BECOME EFFECTIVE FOR FLOOD MITIGATION THE INLET CHANNEL WOULD NEED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN CAPACITY TO DIVERT WATER FROM BROKEN RIVER FLOODS INTO MOKOAN , THIS COULD THEN BE RELEASED AS ENVIRONMENTAL WATER TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OF THE GOULBURN CHOKE NEAR YEA _______ THE REAL ISSUE IS THAT WE NEED MORE ENVIRONMENTAL WATER STORAGE IN THE BASIN YOUR COMMITTEE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE ECONOMICS OF INCREASING LAKE BUFFALOS STORAGE TO TAKE HIGH RIVER FLOWS TO REDUCE FLOODING IN WANGARATTA AND USING THE INCREASED STORAGE CAPACITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WATER DOWN THE MURRAY FINALLY THE CRITICAL ISSUE IS THE FACT THAT WE NEED MORE WATER IN THE BASIN OUR FOOD BOWL THE FUNDS USED TO BUY BACK WATER FROM THE FARMING SECTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO BUILD ANOTHER SNOWY TYPE SCHEME IN NORTHERN NSW ITS NEVER TO LATE TO CHANGE , I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROPERTIES AT BONALBO AND TABUAM IN THE UPPER CLARENCE AND SEEN THAT RIVER IN FLOOD ITS MIND BOGGLING A HYDRO SCHEME THAT DIVERTED WATER INLAND INTO THE DARLING SYSTEM AND ENTERED THE MURRAY BELOW MILDURA WOULD REEK OF COMMONSENSE FROM WHERE I SIT THE REAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE OF SALT LEVELS IN THE MURRAY BELOW MILDURA SEEMS TO BE OVERLOOKED AND SUCH A SCHEME WOULD HELP FLUSH THE RIVER BELOW MILDURA I AM SORRY BUT THE TAKING OF WATER FROM AUSTRALIAS PRODUCTIVE SECTOR IS A BLIGHT ON THE PARLIAMENT ITS SIMPLY THIRD WORLD PLANNING THAT THERE HASN’T BEEN A PROPER COST BENEFIT STUDY THAT LOOKS AT THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COSTS TO RURAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES THE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THIS IS THE START OF A CHANGE WHERE RURAL PEOPLE PARTICULARLY FARMERS ARE TREATED PROPERLY . TO GO IN WITH MAN MADE FLOODS AS IS PROPOSED IN MY HAOME REGION IS SIMPLY NOT ON IT CAN BE FIXED BY SOME LATERAL THINKING. I PERSONALLY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIRD WORLD TREATMENT AS A FARMER BY THOSE IN POWER WHICH WOULD NOT OCCUR IF I LIVED IN AN URBAN SITUATION THE GOULBURN VALLEY IRRIGATION SCHEME LARGELY GRAVITY FED IS A WORLD CLASS SCHEME AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ??? YES TAKE ABOUT 40% OF THE WATER OUT OF IT AND TO A DEGREE DESTROYED IT HAVING SPENT THE LAST WEEK IN CHANGCHUN CHINA THIS SORT OF THINKING IS REALLY HEADING OUR COUNTRY DOWNHILL RAPIDLY THE ASIAN CENTURY IS WELL AND TRULY WITH US BUT IS OUR PARLIAMENT??? READY FOR IT I AM AVAILABLE TO MEET YOUR COMMITTEE IF SO DESIRED Don Lawson OAM M.AG.SC.