[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Llewellyn Must Explaing Federal Water Funding Contradictions_K Booth MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

HAS BARTLETT LABOR MISLED TASMANIANS OVER WATER PLANS?

As Federal Government Demands Catchment Study

Kim Booth MP
Greens Member for Bass

Sunday, 26 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Bartlett Labor government to
explain the contradiction between claims made by Minister Llewellyn
about federal funding for the State government's irrigation pipeline
proposals from the Meander river, and recent statements made by the
Federal Minister, Penny Wong, that no such funding agreements exist.

Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP, said that the State government has
announced by press release and in statements to Parliament, that the
pipelines were to be partially constructed using state and federal
government funds, however Senator Wong's answers to Questions on Notice
by Senator Christine Milne reveal a completely different and
contradictory picture.

"It appears that the Bartlett government has been caught out yet again
not being completely upfront with Tasmanians, this time over whether the
Federal government has agreed to allocate funds for the irrigation
pipeline proposals from the Meander river," Mr Booth said.

"Minister Llewellyn must explain urgently the glaring difference in
stories between himself and Senator Wong."

"Senator Wong has stated that there are no funding allocations in place,
nor applied for, and that no funds would be available until the State
government met its requirements under the national water initiative and
the CSIRO report on future water yields."

"These reports will not be available until at least December 2009, so it
would definitely appear that Minister Llewellyn has pre-empted by a long
shot any allocation of federal funds."

"Minister Llewellyn says 'yes' without any studies yet Senator Wong says
not without the information and not in breach of the National Water
initiatives."

"Farmers and the community have been constantly misled by the State
Labor government over the Meander Dam and it looks like they are at it
again," Mr Booth said.

"Farmers need to make sure that the project isn't just some Labor
spinners' pipe dream before they borrow money for irrigation equipment,
especially in light of these contradictory claims regarding federal
funding." 

"After State Labor overturned the planning system and constantly misled
the community over commercial funding of the Meander Dam, Labor should
now come clean and tell the truth about who is paying for the pipelines
and whether recklessly proceeding will risk not only the environment but
also future Federal Funding under the National water initiative." 

"Make no mistake, the water quality in the Meander River will suffer as
a result of this ill advised scheme and the knowledge that Bartlett
Labor has ignored science and national agreements for cheap political
purposes, will be cold comfort as the blue green algae drives
recreational users out of Lake Trevallyn yet again," Mr Booth said.




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