[Greens-Media] MEDIA ALERT, 2.15pm TODAY - Senator Hanson-Young: Wong wrong to give up on Lower Lakes

[Clark, Gemma (Sen S. Hanson-Young)]

Wednesday 6 August 2008

** MEDIA ALERT **

3.15pm (EST) TODAY: Senator Hanson-Young is holding a doorstop interview
on the Murray in the courtyard of the St James Court Conference Centre,
12 Batman St, Melbourne

Wong wrong to give up on Lower Lakes

Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has challenged
Federal Minister for Water Penny Wong's claim that there is not enough
water to save the River Murray's Lower Lakes.

"The water is there, but evidently the political will to fix this
disastrous situation isn't," said Senator Hanson-Young.

The Greens say an emergency summit should be called to examine all the
options available to Government to alleviate the Murray-Darling
calamity, and that the Federal Government must publicly release water
level data from across the Murray-Darling Basin.

 "We need the most up-to-date figures to know exactly what we're dealing
with here," said Senator Hanson-Young.

"But from what we know now, from environmental experts like those at the
Australian Conservation Foundation, there is water available in storages
in both New South Wales and Victoria, including Menindee Lakes, to be
released as urgently needed flows to keep the lakes alive.

"Seventy per cent of red gums along the Murray are dead or dying. Fish
species in the Coorong are vanishing before our eyes. This is
catastrophic stuff.

"It's time to put politics aside and give the river the drink it so
desperately needs," concluded Senator Hanson-Young.

For further information please call Gemma Clark on 0427 604 760