Despite the winter rains and floods in 2011, the urgency to protect and restore the Murray River remains. Boom and bust cycles of drought and flood are a reminder of the kind of weather climate scientists have been telling us to expect. Water in the Murray needs to be secured now, so that when the next dry weather comes, the river stands a chance.
The Windsor Inquiry into the socio-economic impacts of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was announced in the aftermath of the release of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority Guide last October. The findings of the Inquiry have been released with one of the recommendations being to suspend all ‘non-strategic water buybacks’.
In contrast, Environment Victoria believes that voluntary water buybacks must continue as they are the most effective and efficient way of returning water to the environment. The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists has also been critical of the Windsor report, which they say won’t save the Basin.
Environment Victoria is campaigning to have 7600 billion litres of water returned to the Murray-Darling Basin. They argue that any less will put rivers and the communities that depend on them in jeopardy. A healthy Murray-Darling basin would deliver almost $10 billion in environmental, social and economic benefits to Australians.
www.environmentvictoria.org.au