MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper says she fears proposed changes to water trade rules could be the death-knell of small farms in Sunraysia.
Speaking in State Parliament this week, Ms Cupper said the mooted changes to the Goulburn to Murray trade rule could adversely impact the region’s irrigators.
She said a consultation paper from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning outlined how demand since 2014 for water delivery from the lower Goulburn had become too great, and in the past two years requirements from the Goulburn inter-valley trade to support Murray requirements had caused environmental damage to the Goulburn River.
Parliament was told irrigators were concerned that proposed changes to the rule could create a shortfall in water of up to 160 gigalitres, or 26 per cent of current requirements.
“Horticulture industries in my electorate — including wine and table grapes, citrus, dried fruit and almonds — are worth $2 billion to the Victorian economy,” Ms Cupper said.
“Placing limits on water delivery during peak times this spring and summer could potentially damage the yield and quality of produce as well as driving up the price of water in my area — something that could push small farms in my electorate out of business.
“All options need to be explored thoroughly before any decision is made on changing the inter-valley trade rules.”
Ms Cupper said those included infrastructure projects bypassing the Barmah Choke, which would lessen the demand for water from the Goulburn River while not impacting on delivery of water to irrigators in the Mildura electorate.
“This would allow key environmental concerns to be addressed and make more irrigation water available when needed in the lower Murray,” she said.
Ms Cupper called on Water Minister Lisa Neville to travel to Mildura to meet horticulture industry representatives to discuss potential impacts of changes to water trade rules.
“I have requested a 12-month delay to any changes while all options are properly canvassed, including the infrastructure projects, and believe the minister would benefit from meeting directly with industry representatives in my electorate to discuss how the rule change could negatively impact them,” she said.
