15th February 2007Queensland farmers are apprehensive about details emerging from Canberra about how far the Federal takeover of water management of the Murray-Darling basin is proposed to go and the impact this could have on water planning and the security of entitlements.
Queensland Farmers Federation chief executive officer, John Cherry, says irrigators do not want to see a new water bureaucracy created in Canberra that duplicates existing State bureaucracy, and adds to costs and uncertainty.
“We recognise that the strategic planning for the overall Murray Darling basin and the management of environmental water is broken and needs to be fixed,” Mr Cherry said.
“But the Commonwealth should leave alone catchment plans that are working well.
“Queensland has engaged in the most comprehensive and transparent water planning process of any State, which has taken more than 10 years.
“Our water plans are in place but water entitlements still await determination of the final Resource Operation Plans for most catchments, preventing Queensland becoming involved in water trading.
“The last thing irrigators want to see is that whole process is started again by a new but more remote bureaucracy created in Canberra.”
QFF has written to Prime Minister John Howard and Premier Peter Beattie suggesting the Commonwealth should exercise only those powers necessary to ensure the states implement the Murray Darling Basin strategic plan using the states’ legislation, institutions and staff skills.
SOURCE: Extract from full story in the February 15 issue of Queensland Country Life.
