Sheed invites new water minister to GMID

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has extended an invitation to the new Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to visit the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID).

Ms Sheed asked Ms Plibersek to meet with the GMID Water Leadership group, which she co-chairs with David McKenzie, to discuss the continued roll-out of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

“David and I visited the Federal Parliament in Canberra before the election to highlight to members of parliament our region’s issues surrounding the 2024 audit of the Murray Darling Basin Plan,” Ms Sheed said.

“We met the then shadow Minister for Water Terri Butler and put forward our case and we would like to have the same opportunity with Australia’s new water minister.”

The GMID has outlined its issues in its advocacy document Achieving Balance in the Basin Plan – How to avoid taking southern basin regions to the brink in 2024, which Ms Sheed sent to Ms Plibersek.

“Our main concern is that the government will continue the roll-out of the Murray Darling Basin Plan with a hard deadline of 2024 and buy back water from our district here in the GMID when the water recovery targets are not met,” Ms Sheed said.

“We know now that many water efficiency projects will not be completed by 2024, so the most sensible option is to extend that deadline to allow this good work to continue instead of again depleting water permanently from our vital irrigation system here in the GMID.”

 

ENDS

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466│elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

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