Water cuts concern farmers and Qld govt

Queensland farmers and the government say proposed water consumption cuts from the
Murray-Darling river system could significantly hurt communities.
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), which oversees the river system, on
Friday outlined plans to restore it back to full health.
It recommended scaling back water consumption by up to 4000 gigalitres, or six times
the volume of Sydney Harbour.
Queensland's Natural Resources Minister, Stephen Robertson, called for federal Water
Minister Tony Burke to hold a meeting with state ministers as soon as possible to
discuss the plan.
He said the state government was carefully examining the MDBA's plan and was
concerned it may have significant social and economic impact.
"The final plan for the basin should strike a balance between protecting the health
of the catchment, and securing water needs for our environment, industries and
communities," Mr Robertson said in a statement.
Queensland farm group AgForce warned the livelihoods of 40 per cent of Australian
farmers were at stake.
AgForce president Brent Finlay said the proposed cuts also put the basin's ability
to produce food for 20 million people on the line.
"The reality is that reduced water entitlements mean many farmers have no option but
to reduce the scale of their operations," Mr Finlay said.
"This will have a direct impact on jobs, towns and regions."
The state opposition said it wanted the MDBA to justify its proposed water
extraction limits.
"I would like to see the science that justifies those figures," the Liberal National
Party's (LNP) natural resources spokesman, Jeff Seeney, said.
"If these cutbacks are just for feel-good purposes for city-based green groups, then
they would be totally unacceptable."
The MDBA is proposing reductions in watercourse and flood plain diversions of
between 27 and 37 per cent.
Under the plan, the declining population of water birds would be arrested, river red
gums would be healthier and native fish, such as the Murray cod, would reproduce in
greater numbers, the authority says.
The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) welcomed the proposal, saying it would
create a sustainable future for the basin.
QCC spokesman Nigel Parratt said data from the MDBA showed water extraction had
alarmingly increased by 500 per cent in less than a century.
"This is clearly not sustainable and shows how the basin has been managed up until
now hasn't worked," he said.