Nationals Climate Change Denial
It's beggars belief that the our Mayor Col Murray, local member Kevin Anderson, and Barnaby Joyce are all in denial about climate change.
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But I am sure they are much better informed than Sir David Attenborough who recently stated: "I am sorry that there are people who are in power ... notably, of course, [in] the United States but also in Australia [who are climate change deniers], which is extraordinary because Australia is already facing having to deal with some of the most extreme manifestations of climate change".
The Australian Department of Environment and Energy, has identified the following climate change impacts that will effect our region: we will face increased droughts, increased temperatures and more frequent heat wave events. Rainfall will decrease, this is already happening with rain in the April to October growing season down 11% from 1996 to 2015. We also face risks to our groundwater with reduced recharge and supplies.
It's well past time the Nationals were called to account for their head in the sand approach, and lack of policy on climate change.
Scott Hyams,
Tamworth
New Developments in Moore Creek
If you think that this is not going to have an impact on the water, the roads, then you're kidding yourselves. The amount of traffic now has tripled over the last 10 years.
This was once a nice clean area to live but now with all the wood fires going in the air quality has gone down hill rapidly. It has also brought out unsavoury types of people and their children, who disregard the areas with trail bikes, quad runners and excessive loud noises until all hours.
People have no regard for their water usage or their neighbour's privacy. I'm against the development, enough is enough out at Moore Creek. Not to mention the wildlife strikes in this area. Council didn't organise the lower speed limits on the Moore Creek area, it was the residents and the RMS.
Janina Price,
Moore Creek
Disappointed with the ABC
It is beyond disappointing to once again see the ABC's Four Corners program use its influential position to air another biased, inaccurate piece of journalism.
The 'Cash Splash' story was riddled with factual errors and guided the audience down a path of misrepresentation about the fundamentals of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
It is understandable that the average viewer might have concerns about the Plan's irrigation efficiency programs that the show focused on. Given the way the show was presented, it would be understandable for a viewer to question whether the environment has gained anything under the Plan.
However, at no stage did the episode attempt to explain how the Basin Plan has recovered 2100GL of water for the environment, with just under 700GL coming from irrigation efficiency and infrastructure projects.
There also wasn't any effort to highlight the economic stimulus communities have received from the programs, rather than the economic devastation straight 'buybacks' have afflicted on many Basin communities.
The idea propagated by Four Corners that irrigators are 'using more water' by taking up water efficiency schemes is false. The only way an irrigator can acquire more water is if they buy a licence that allows them access to more water from the existing water licence pool.
Under the Plan, the government can either purchase water through buybacks or acquire water through funding irrigation efficiency schemes.
While the upfront cost of buybacks is cheaper, the irrigator and their local community cannot make up for the lost production by the entitlement leaving the productive side for the environmental side.
Efficiency projects are a more appropriate option because irrigators can do more with their remaining water, thereby underpinning communities...Under the Plan, water licence holders are the last to receive water allocations after critical human needs and the environment receive their share.
We implore Australians to understand the facts and details around these important water issues before they blithely take to social media and venomously attack our farmers.
Michael Murray,
General Manager, Cotton Australia
The Failure of all their Dam Plans
Malcolm Turnbull's Murray Darling Basin plan has failed and must be abolished.
We need to change the way we manage what is our most abundant renewable resource, and the only obstacle to this is politics.
The immediate action must be to stop wasting water on "environmental flows" that are doing more harm than good. Then we need to build more dams and weirs; and restore natural flushing to the mouth of the Murray.
If we do these things, there will be plenty of water for all MD basin needs and the environment will benefit hugely (in stark contrast to the scorched earth policy currently in play).
Federal government meddling in state matters has made a huge mess of the supply and management of water and electricity. The way out of these messes is to reverse the way we got in.
Viv Forbes,
Washpool QLD