25th September 2015

Select Committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Email: [email protected]

Submission to the Select Committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission to the Committee to support its inquiry into the social, economic and environmental impacts of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan on regional communities. Please find my submission attached below.

Introduction

My name is Ken Crossley. I am a 68 year old farmer in a farming family enterprise in with my wife and sons and daughter –in laws. I currently farm 8,000HA with Edward , , Forest Creek and Creek frontages. Our operation encompasses dryland grazing of sheep and cattle and irrigated farming- growing cereals including rice, wheat, barley, pasture production and environmental watering on farm. I am also a rate payer elected Director on Murray Local Land Services and member of the Australian Conservation Foundation. I have lived in Deniliquin my entire life.

I also find it difficult to express myself in writing, so please take this into account when reading my submission. I will be factual and honest without emotion.

The plan

1. There is no plan without encompassing the Coorong Lakes as part of any environmental long term outcome. 2. The current plan is politically driven by both major parties to secure South Australian and green votes at great cost, both financially and to the detriment of the environment. 3. The current plan is causing enormous dysfunction in communities. There are diminishing job opportunities, farmers are faced with such uncertainty that many report they are struggling with mental health problems. I see firsthand, many young people are being forced to move to the city for job opportunities. Young and innovative farmers are being forced to leave our region- as they struggle to either remain viable or the ‘fear of the unknown’ crated by the plan forces them to stop farming altogether. With that- there has been a reduction in school numbers and it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain sporting and cultural clubs. 4. The government has taken about 30% of available water out of our region. The water taken was mostly not used by its owner but was either traded on the temporary water market, or was not used and re-allocated. 5. The loss of water from our region has then had a flow on effect. Irrigators and irrigation companies risk NOT being financially viable. 6. The current plan has the potential to ‘kill’ food production related to irrigation in the food bowl of . Irrigation significance is overlooked in drought times by many not close to agriculture. Of major significance is the fact it provided almost all of the feed (hay, grain, seed and many other feeds) to save the nations livestock during the drought. 7. Bill Shorten on the Australian Public Affairs Channel- recently spoke on climate change and stated that the most severely impacted area of Australia effected by climate change will be the Murray Darling Basin. 8. In our area, we have three irrigation companies (Murray, Murrumbidgee and ) delivering water though gravity systems that are the envy of the world. However, without change they will be unaffordable and redundant.

Murray Darling Basin Commission and Government Water Buy backs.

Poor planning, including a lack of risk management plans have created a range of environmental disasters. These include:

1. Barmah/Millewa Forest watering plan construction cost about 100% over budget with no plan on how to dispose of the black water to exit the water. 2. There have been total fish kill in the and Edward River systems. 3. Severe bank erosion caused by high in bank flows. 4. Forest Creek and Wanganella Swamp- Until around 6-7 years ago, this area was the most significant wet land and bird breeding colonies in our area. Due to government water buy backs and the closure of this system- the area is now dry. Everything has gone- from Brolga’s to dab chicks. The bottom end of the Forest creek is a significant Aquifer recharge area. An absolute disaster! 5. The Billabong, Yanco, Columbo Creeks are renowned fish breeding creek systems for Murray Cod, Trout Cod, Golden Perch and Cat Fish. A very significant flow reduction due to government buy backs has been created, yet government wants to take more water out!

Water trading

This is a huge issue. We are now in a position that farmers are not the main people trading water. We have corporate companies (including Superannuation companies- with the sole purpose of making money for their clients), water traders and government knowingly and unknowingly manipulating the temporary water prices. In our own case, we own water in both the Murrumbidgee and Murray Systems but we can’t trade the Murrumbidgee water to the Murray System. There is a lot of misconception regarding water trading. I recently heard an ACF spokesman on the ABC radio telling the public that you can freely trade water between systems.

Solutions and summary

1. Halt the plan – Allow for more scientific research into environmental outcomes and more importantly the socioeconomic ramifications of the plan. I realise that you will receive submissions from bodies that see it as essential that the whole Plan be implemented (2019) before the benefits and costs of the Plan can be accurately assessed. We are already realising the environmental, financial, and social consequences of the plan to date. Not halting the plan now will be a national disaster. 2. Review and overhall water policy and trading. Reduce the amount of carry over to sub 30% and get water traders out of the system. Speculators should not be allowed in the water market. Only farmers should be allowed to trade water via a trader to other farmers for food/fibre production. There needs to be better governance and more transparency.

I could go on forever- and there is a lot of I have not covered. I have been advised by many in government and others departments that the Senate inquiry is a witch hunt that will have little or no outcome. Please prove them wrong! We need the inquiry to dispel the lies, myths, and ideologies being impressed on us, and an ill-informed Australian community being told things that are simply not true.

This plan, if allowed to continue is an environmental, financial, ecological and socio - economic disaster of National significance.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Thanks for taking the time to read my submission.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Crossley