Missing Murray inflows: Federal Water Minister must deliver on promise
Tuesday, 08 June 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
It is now evident that there will be no meaningful flows into the River Murray following record rains in much of the northern Darling catchment earlier this year. There have been no natural flows from the mouth of Australia’s largest river system since 2002.
The finger is being pointed at poorly regulated and possibly illegal surface-water diversions, constructed predominantly in the Darling catchment. It has been suggested that these vast “ring-tanks” have the capacity to prevent up to 1,500 billion litres of floodwater from entering the river system. The now disbanded Murray Darling Basin Commission estimated that these shallow storages are associated with evaporative losses of up to 50%. Total annual inflows into the entire Murray-Darling system have averaged only 4,150 billion litres in recent years.
Today’s announcement by the NSW Office of Water, that irrigators in the upper Darling have had “sufficient opportunities . . . to receive as much (water) as they want to” and that, despite initial projections, flows in the lower Darling will be insufficient to fill the Menindee Lakes, once again raises serious concerns about the management of the Murray-Darling Basin, according to national lobby group, Fair Water Use.
Government must deliver on promised audit of private water storages
Friday, 08 January 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
In response to the announcement by the NSW Department of Water & Energy that it does not believe that recent flooding rains in the Darling Basin will result in increased flows into the lower Murray, environmental and public water rights advocacy group Fair Water Use (Australia) has called for the Commonwealth to keep its 2008 promise to provide “comprehensive, detailed and externally reviewed audit” of private water storages in the Basin: Read ABC article.
Governments and Oppositions asked to respond to MDB proposals
Thursday, 19 November 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
Subsequent to
yesterday’s release of terms of reference for theNational State of Emergency Commission and
National Public Commission of Inquiry into the Murray-Darling crisis proposed by Fair Water Use (Australia),
copies of these documents have now been provided to the Prime Minister, Basin
State Premiers, Federal and State
Ministers with responsibility for water and their opposition
counterparts.
Fair
Water Usehas
requested that each of these senior party members indicate their stance on these
proposals - and awaits their responses.
National
coordinator of Fair Water Use, Dr
Ian Douglas, said earlier today,
“Members of current administrations, and
those that aspire to succeed them, can no longer afford to ignore the
increasingly-loud calls, coming from all parts of Australia, for urgent and
meaningful action on the Murray-Darling crisis – or do so at their electoral
peril”.
PM risks accusations of "policy drought" in Copenhagen
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
National environmental and water-rights advocacy group Fair Water Use (Australia) has responded to the statement issued by the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water, following release of the latest Drought Update by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority:
“The Federal Water Minister is now using the crisis in the Murray-Darling to push the weak CPRS that the Prime Minister wishes to parade in Copenhagen.
Advocating environmentally-responsible use of Murray-Darling water
Fair Water Use (Australia) is a lobby group formed by everyday Australians who share the vision of a revived Murray-Darling basin and the sustainable environmental, community and economic benefits that would flow from its recovery.
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