Labor’s water plan equals more food and fibre imports
29th April, 2008
Australia is likely to become more reliant on imports of food and fibre thanks to Labor’s idiotic tinkering with the Coalition’s water plan, the Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said today. “Shoppers will pay more because of Labor’s decision announced today to buy large quantities of water from farmers in the Murray Darling Basin – the food bowl of Australia,” Mr Truss said.
“The Coalition’s water plan was win-win-win: farmers benefited through more efficient irrigation systems; the environment benefited by increased river system flows, and everyday consumers benefited through being able to buy fine Aussie produce at reasonable prices.
“The previous government’s plan had been extensively tested, developed and funded, and would have invested the money needed to modernise irrigation systems and save water. Instead of saving water, Labor is using a giant chequebook to buy existing water from ageing and underperforming infrastructure.
“Labor has again decided to penalise those who did not vote for it. The lifeblood of so many country towns – water - will simply be stolen from them.
“The Rudd Government has in its usual fashion shamelessly taken a policy from the Coalition and then blundered badly by massacring one of the most critical aspects of that policy. The original Coalition plan would have seen farmers become more efficient and productive by modernising irrigation systems, with the extra water available for the environment.
“The end result is there will be less water available to farmers as Labor’s buybacks hit, and large quantities will continue to be lost to evaporation and seepage. This is the water that could have been used to increase environmental flows, rather than forcing farmers at legislative gunpoint to give up allocations.
“If food and fibre becomes more expensive, consumers will look to foreign product. This is coming at a critical time with world food shortages in the news.
“Every Australian should be up in arms over Labor’s water failures announced today. It is a devastating blow particularly for communities in the Murray Darling Basin, and the after shocks will be felt around the country for decades to come,” Mr Truss said.
