THE independent MP for Murray, Helen Dalton, says she is throwing her support behind a planned rally against Murray-Darling Basin environmental water buybacks this month.
Rally organisers plan to stage it outside the office of Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Mrs Dalton said the government’s planned buybacks were unlawful and that it was “trying to remove the laws that protect rural communities”.
“Right now, the Murray-Darling Basin plan makes it illegal for these kinds of buybacks to take place because they will be so destructive to so many livelihoods,” she said.
“That’s why the government is trying to remove the laws that protect rural communities. And the price of these buybacks is $3 billion.
“It’s absolute madness. It will drive up the cost of food for all Australians while destroying tens of thousands of farms.”
Mrs Dalton said the environmental buybacks were politically motivated.
“Labor is worried about losing votes in the city to the Greens, so it’s claiming these buybacks will help the environment,” she said.
“But the truth is that constraints in the river system won’t allow this
water to get to areas that might help the environment.
“In other words, federal Labor wants to spend $3 billion on buybacks that won’t help the environment but will destroy farms and drive up the cost of living.”
