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Fed’S Cherry Picking On Water Is Not In National Interest: IngramThe Independent member for Gippsland East Craig Ingram, has expressed serious concerns at the Federal Government’s attempt to take over control of water resources in the Murray Darling Basin. By Craig Ingram - 7th February 2007 - Back to News "This change may well be welcomed by some residents of the Murray Darling Basin, but it may be cold comfort for residents of other parts of rural Australia including Gippsland who will end up being the poor cousin of the Murray Darling Basin", Mr Ingram said.
"We should be extremely wary of the haste with which this proposal is being thrust upon us in the lead up to a federal election and in the middle of one of the country’s worst droughts on record. We should not make a hasty decision that will permanatly change the balance of political power and control of this country’s most important natural resource", he said.
"There are other options which will deliver better outcomes without the potential risks. For example, the South Australian Government proposal of an independent commission or just providing more autonomy and power to the MDBC.
"Clearly massive investment and effort is still needed on a range of water management issues but moving water under Commonwealth control will not be the panacea to better management.
"History has shown that vesting state powers to the Commonwealth has its pitfalls. For constitutional reasons, the States had to rely on the Commonwealth to impose a fuel tax and GST to raise funds for roads. The Commonwealth grasped the opportunity to use this fuel tax as a major income source for itself. The Commonwealth Treasurer has used his powers to deny the State of Victoria it’s due share of this tax on the grounds that he wants the State to spend even more on freeways in the metropolitan area.
"Our region has many water challenges including urban water supply’s, water recycling and the health of our rivers and the Gippsland Lakes. These systems will miss out under the Federal takeover of the high profile and politically attractive Murray Darling River system.
"Giving the Commonwealth power over water is not in the national interest. The MDB is important but so to are many other river systems", Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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