Carr's water war with Queensland ignores farmers plight

[Paul Sheridan]

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Media Release						25 May, 2004	

Carr's water war with Queensland ignores farmers plight

Internationally significant wetlands on the Macquarie and Gwydir Rivers continue to dry up while NSW Premier Bob Carr shadow boxes with Queensland over water, Greens Rural Affairs Spokesperson Ian Cohen MLC said today.

"The Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir Wetlands are dying because the NSW Government continues to deny them the water they need to survive.

"Instead of recognising the problem and using new water sharing plans that begin in July to increase environmental flows, the Premier has chosen to fight a mock war with Queensland."

Mr Cohen said landholders surrounding the wetlands are fed up and will travel to Sydney early next week to let the government know.

"The landholders who, in good faith, signed the first ever Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the NSW and Federal Governments in 1999 to protect the Lower Gwydir and Gingham Wetlands under the international RAMSAR Convention, have been let down.

"The native grasses in the wetlands have all but disappeared and the weed Lippia is taking over.

"In the Macquarie Marshes, water has been diverted away for bigger and bigger irrigation business and they are stressed and dying."

Mr Cohen said a forum will be held at NSW Parliament next Tuesday evening, 1 June, to discuss proposed changes to the Water Management Act in NSW and hear from farmers about how drastic the situation is in these wetland areas.

"There is widespread concern in the bush that the NSW Government is going to change forever access to water and that it will provide a huge advantage to big irrigators at the expense of other farmers and regional towns."


Further Information: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656




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