Barilaro’s Dam Stupid Idea
The Government’s plan to fast-track the approval and construction of dams in Western NSW will do nothing to prevent towns reaching ‘Day-Zero’ and is simply justification to avoid proper scrutiny of the environmental impacts of dams said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and water spokesperson.
“Emergency measures are needed to ensure towns don’t reach day zero, but fast tracking the approval of dams that won’t be built for another four or five years is a cynical attempt to take advantage of the drought to get away with environmental vandalism,” said Ms Faehrmann.
“Building more dams won’t make it rain but they will consign downstream communities to environmental and social disaster as even more rivers dry up.
“The fact is that extractive industries on the Murray Darling are taking too much. The government needs to stand up to big irrigators and coal mines and reduce their allocations to preserve our state’s water security.
“The government needs to be considering all solutions to ensure regional communities have a sustainable water supply, including water recycling. If other countries like Israel can recycle their water for crop irrigation, surely Australia should be fast tracking that too. Why isn’t this even on the table?
“NSW towns are running out of water because of a failure to plan for the increasing impacts of climate change. We don’t need more destructive dams, we need to manage the water we do have sustainably and equitably and that must start with standing up to the big upstream irrigators,” said Ms Faehrmann.
More information: Jacob Miller 0428 837 292