3rd June 2008

Dear Senator Wong,

Whilst acknowledging your clear commitment to your portfolio and the actions taken by the Federal Government to date, it is generally agreed that the National Water Plan does not address the current, critical condition of the Murray-Darling. The scientific consensus is that any benefit that is forthcoming will be too little and much too late.

Rapid and effective measures are desperately required to keep the system alive whilst the long term political aspects are worked through and implemented. Such decisive action will involve bold decisions which will inevitably impact more severely on some communities than others. 

Most Australians are aware that the Murray-Darling is in desperate need of an influx of 1500 gigalitres to prevent the entire system from collapse. If this water is not released into the system within three years, there will be little left to save.

In the absence of a stated plan from your Department for immediate meaningful action, what can we do as a nation, other than join hands and perform a rain dance?

It is widely known that the cotton industry consumes in excess of 1700 gigalitres annually, if water is available. After the recent rains in the northern Darling catchment, dams constructed by the cotton sector are brim full of water which would otherwise have flowed down the Darling. Calculations by Fair Water Use, based on 2005-2006 figures obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, reveal that Australian cotton growers required 2000 litres of water to produce $1 of product, as opposed to 95 litres for non-rice grains. Given climate change projections, it is clearly inappropriate to continue cotton cultivation in the Murray-Darling catchment.

The usual response to such suggestions is that it is unfair to demonise one sector of the agricultural community. This stance is no longer appropriate. Any activity that is causing profound damage to the environment can be prohibited, and an increasing body of opinion believes that cotton cultivation is such an activity.

We consider that such a move would also meet with the approval of the electorate as Australians are seeking decisive action from the Federal Government on this issue.

Proscription of cotton cultivation and release of the vast volumes of water impounded by the industry will provide the system with the life-line it desperately requires. It will also involve large compensation outlays to growers and associated communities, but it is well known that Australia currently boasts a budgetary surplus in excess of 20 billion dollars. In addition, the Australian Bureau of Statistics valued the national cotton crop at less than one billion dollars in the 2005-06 financial year (less than 3% of the value of all agricultural commodities).

Australia can afford to take this visionary step without major or long-term societal impacts; there are other less water-hungry crops that can be grown by those currently involved in cotton cultivation.

Sincerely,

Dr Ian Douglas

Coordinator

MEDIA RELEASE:

It is clear that the National Water Plan does not address the current, critical condition of the Murray-Darling. This is not surprising as it is an attempt to achieve a politically-acceptable solution to an environmental problem.  The scientific consensus is that any benefit that is forthcoming will be too little and much too late.

Rapid and effective measures are desperately required to keep the system alive whilst the long term political aspects are worked through and implemented. Such visionary action will involve bold decisions which will inevitably impact more severely on some communities than others.

As reaffirmed by Dr Mike Young on ABC Radio this morning (2nd June 2008), the Murray-Darling is in desperate need of an influx of 1500 gigalitres to prevent the entire system from collapse. Dr Young indicates that if this water is not released into the system within three years, there will be little left to save.

The Hume and Dartmouth dams are at historically low levels; so where else can the water be sourced? There is a deafening silence from Federal and State Government ministers. As a nation, what can we do, other than join hands and perform a rain dance?

Fair Water Use considers two of the most pressing issues to be the massive sequestration of water by the cotton industry and the equally-massive degradation of the Lower Murray Lakes.

It is widely known that the cotton industry consumes in excess of 1700 gigalitres annually, if water is available. After the recent rains in the northern Darling catchment, the dams constructed by cotton barons are brim full of water which would otherwise have flowed down the Darling.

Calculations based on 2005-2006 figures obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that the cotton industry required around 2000 litres of impounded water to produce $1 of product. This is compared to 95 litres required for non-rice grains.

An ever-increasing proportion of Australians are calling on the Federal and State Governments to take visionary action and proscribe the cultivation of cotton in the Murray-Darling basin. 

Cessation of cotton cultivation and release of the vast volumes of water impounded by the industry will provide the system with the life-line it desperately requires. It will also involve huge compensation outlays to growers and associated communities, but it must be borne in mind that Australia currently boasts a budgetary surplus in excess of 20 billion dollars. In addition, the Australian Bureau of Statistics valued the national cotton crop at less than one billion dollars in the 2005-06 financial year (less than 3% of the value of all agricultural commodities). Australia can afford to take this visionary step without major or long-term societal impacts; and there are other less water-hungry crops than can be grown by those currently involved in cotton cultivation.

When will Senator Wong take the decisive action that will provide the Murray-Darling with the life-line it requires?

With respect to the long-term future of the Lower Lakes, a proposal exists whereby a levee would be constructed around the northern shore of Lake Alexandrina, effectively extending the River Murray  to the mouth and isolating it from the lakes which would then be opened to the sea, as was the case before the barrages were built.

Under the proposal, the levee would be sufficiently wide to be sold as building blocks (residential / tourism), with the river on one side and the sea on the other. The value of these blocks would significantly offset the cost of this ambitious project.

The Coorong could be retained as a brackish water system by diversion of several large drainage channels which currently discharge fresh water directly into the sea to the east of the Coorong.

As with termination of cotton cultivation, there will be those who are appalled by this proposal, irrespective of the level of compensation. However, if we are sincere in our desire to save the Murray-Darling, is it not a compromise we should be considering? 

Media Release 

In 1993, the United Nations declared the 22nd May International Biodiversity Day  as a way of increasing the awareness and understanding of biodiversity issues.

The theme for this year is 'Biodiversity and Agriculture'. Agriculture is a key example of how human activities have a profound impact on the ecosystems of our planet.

In line with the wishes of the ever-increasing proportion of Australians who view the involvement of the corporate sector in the cultivation of cotton in the Murray-Darling catchment as inappropriate, unsustainable and ecologically devastating, Fair Water Use (Australia) is asking those invested in this area to review their involvement, and reinvest in agricultural activities in keeping with the best interests of the Murray-Darling Basin as a whole.

FWUA will shortly be commencing a ?name and shame? campaign directed at groups and institutions invested in these environmentally destructive operations.

FWUA has no argument with true farmers who are battling under very adverse conditions and are fully aware of the need to practice agriculture that is sustainable in the broadest sense. They have our utmost respect.

FWUA is also lobbying all State and Federal Government offices with responsibility for water regulation to amend current legislation which enables the impoundment of a large percentage of the surface water which would otherwise have entered the River Darling and made a significant contribution to the restoration of the ecology of the Murray-Darling system and the welfare of hundreds of downstream communities dependent upon it.  

MEDIA RELEASE

The Cotton Corporates continue their environmental rape of our country, commencing AQUACULTURE whilst the Murray-Darling dries-up.

This insensitive initiative was announced by the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC on the 25^th March 2008.  One of the stated aims of the development is to increase environmental sustainability. Do they really believe this , or expect us to do so?

Fair Water Use (Australia) would like to ask the cotton barons how they expect this totally inappropriate use of the life-giving water they have impounded on their vast estates to provide any meaningful environmental benefit to the nation;  water which, if released to the Murray-Darling, would go a long way to returning adequate environmental flows to the system.

The struggling regional communities of south-eastern Australia would love to hear their explanation.