[Greens-Media] Macquarie Marshes water theft shows Commonwealth not ready to take over water management

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Monday 25th June 2007

Macquarie Marshes water theft shows Commonwealth not ready to take over
water management

"The failure of the Howard Government to deliver on its responsibilities
to protect Ramsar wetlands at Macquarie Marshes highlights its lack of
capacity to take over the nation's water resources," said Senator Rachel
Siewert today.

"How can the Commonwealth manage the whole of the Murray Darling Basin
if they are unable to manage getting their environmental water from the
dam to the marshes?"

The Inland Rivers Network today released its investigative report into
the theft of environmental water from the Macquarie Marshes. Last week
Senator Rachel Siewert alerted the Senate to much of the evidence
contained in the report, after allegations of water theft were raised in
a Senate inquiry chaired by Senator Siewert last year.

"Macquarie Marshes is a national icon."

"We have struggled for years to get a small proportion set aside for
environmental flows." 

"At a time when the wetlands are in crisis and this water could make all
the difference in keeping core sections of the ecosystem alive, this
theft is the worst kind of environmental vandalism," she said.

"Recent reports indicate that this theft is still continuing and that
much of the recent rainfall is not getting through where it is most
sorely needed."

"Malcolm Turnbull needs to act quickly to stop this environmental theft
and ensure that these precious wetlands don't die of thirst when the
water is already there to save them," concluded Senator Siewert.


Senator Siewert's speech to the Senate on water theft can be emailed on
request or found at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/dailys/ds200607.pdf (page 37)

	           
For more information or comment call 
Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025

Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au




Chris Twomey
WA: 08 9228 3277 Canberra: 02 6277 3587
mobile: 0407 725 025
www.rachelsiewert.org.au

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