Senator Penny Wong,

Minister for Climate Change and Water

Parliament House

Canberra

Dear Minister,

In common with the vast majority of environmentalists, local farmers and other residents to whom we have talked, Fair Water Use accepts that the lower Murray lakes are beyond salvage as fresh water storages and that we must concentrate on restoring the remainder of the system as effectively as possible. If new water was prevented from entering the lower lakes, the release of compulsorily acquired water from the Darling headwaters could only have a significant beneficial effect on the remaining river system and associated wetlands.

 To address the immediate crisis the compulsorily acquired impounded water would be released forthwith and a temporary weir constructed at the northern entrance to Lake Alexandrina (as previously discussed). If the estimated 1500 gigalitres were released today, construction of this weir could be completed well before water arrived from the north.

As you know, a proportion of the water would be absorbed by parched river beds on its way south, but would not be lost to the system as it would infiltrate back with time. The vast majority released would flow down the Darling and reach the Murray if man-made obstructions to flow were removed, permanently or temporarily.

Although there would be significant costs to this initiative, we believe that the opportunity cost is many times greater, if the widespread social, economic and environmental impacts of a collapsed system are factored-in.

As a long term measure, Fair Water Use is proposing that the lower Murray is contained behind a levee constructed 100 metres from the western shore of Lake Alexandrina and that both lakes are opened to the sea. The Coorong would be retained as a brackish water system by diversion of fresh water drainage channels which currently discharge directly into the sea to its east.

We appreciate the enormity of your task and responsibilities, and hope that you are able to give consideration to this bold initiative which would have the backing of large and ever-increasing percentage of the population of this country.