MEMBER For Mildura Ali Cupper has called on Water Minister Lisa Neville to travel to Mildura to meet with horticulture industry representatives to discuss potential impacts of changes to water trade rules.
Ms Cupper used an adjournment speech in Victorian Parliament on Wednesday to highlight how proposed changes to the Goulburn to Murray trade rule could adversely impact on Sunraysia irrigators.
“Irrigators are concerned that changes to the rule could create a shortfall in water of up to 160 gigalitres, or 26 per cent of current requirements,” she told parliament.
“All options need to be explored thoroughly before any decision is made on changing the inter-valley trade rules.
“These include infrastructure projects bypassing the Barmah Choke, which would lessen the demand for water from the Goulburn while not impacting on delivery of water to irrigators in the Mildura electorate.”
The proposed changes came after a consultation paper from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning outlined how increased demand on the Goulburn River had become too great and caused environmental damage.
Ms Cupper said all options needed to be canvassed, including the infrastructure projects, and has urged a 12-month delay in any changes to the inter-valley trade rule.
The full speech can be found at https://parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Assembly_2020/Legislative_Assembly_2020-06-17.pdf
