Previous releases from Fair Water Use on topics of relevance to the Murray-Darling crisis can be viewed via the subheadings of the Media Releases tab on the side-menu.

MEDIA RELEASE

21st November 2011

Accusations have been flowing freely from all sides, including from the Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, with respect to the leaking of the Draft Basin Plan.

Following a recent meeting with the Federal Minister for water, Tony Burke, coordinator of Fair Water Use, Dr Ian Douglas, reported to FWU members that the Draft Plan was expected to be a “highly compromised” document, with the Authority failing in its statutory responsibility to manage the Murray-Darling river system in the interests of all Australians, rather than to the benefit of a vocal section of the irrigation sector and, of late, the shareholders of predatory coal seam gas miners.

MEDIA RELEASE

26th October 2011

Reports that Craig Knowles, Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, is considering a dramatic increase in groundwater extractions as part of his Basin Plan have stunned public water-rights and environmental advocacy group, Fair Water Use.

The group’s coordinator, Ian Douglas, responded today, “This announcement suggests an astounding level of either ignorance or cynicism on the part of the Authority, and specifically Craig Knowles.”

“If the former, it would appear that Mr Knowles understands less about the hydrologic cycle than most secondary school children, and the absolute continuum that is surface water, groundwater and in-stream flows”, he continued.

“Proposing a 2,400 billion litres a year increase in take from the groundwater component of the resource, whilst modelling a reduction in diversion limits of a mere 2,800 billion litres, implies that the Basin Plan may involve a reduction in total extractions of a paltry 400 billion litres, around one tenth of the minimum amount recommended; it would also give the green light to a massive increase in the production of contaminated water by mining activities in the Basin”, Dr Douglas concluded.

MEDIA RELEASE

28th September 2011

Initial results of an ongoing on-line poll on water policy in Australia raise concerns that the majority of Australians are far from convinced that the draft Basin Plan, soon to be released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, will be successful in its aims.

The poll, coordinated by Fair Water Use Australia, currently indicates that 65% of respondents believe that there is a low or very low likelihood that a less than 3000 gigalitre increase in environmental water allocation will prove effective in addressing the longterm degradation of the Murray-Darling river system.

In addition, only 9% of respondents to date believe that the MDBA is being allowed to develop its plan free from political pressure and 65% are of the opinion that the Australian Constitution should be amended to specifically protect water as a common good.

MEDIA RELEASE

Yesterday, thousands of Americans called the White House to demand that President Obama ban the dirty practice of   fracking, utilised by gas mining companies; letting President Obama know that ordinary Americans want him to take a stand for clean water.

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of huge  volumes of toxic fluids, laced with carcinogens, underground at high  pressures   to fracture shale rock and release natural gas. Much of the  wastewater is toxic — and even radioactive — and remains below the  surface, where it can migrate into aquifers.

Fair Water Use asks our legislators: If the impacts of the process are too uncertain for USA citizens to accept, why should Australians be expected to tolerate the same toxic technology?

MEDIA RELEASE