"South Australians and their precious environment along the full length of the River Murray have suffered enough. A 2009 Dairy Australia inquiry reported "The Murray Swamps are facing an economic and ecological disaster if water allocations and river levels typical of the last ten years continue". The Commonwealth needs to show leadership and conduct an immediate public inquiry and full audit of both public and private water diversions" said Ms Pettett.
"Part of South Australia's water problem stems from New South Wales and Victoria no longer needing to jointly provide SA's minimum entitlement of 1850 GL because of special drought arrangements" said Conservation SA's Water Foundation Chair, John Caldecott.
"South Australia's meagre diversion entitlement of 805 GL has been capped for decades whilst the eastern states increased their diversion by around 330%. It needs to be recognised that SA's 1850 GL minimum entitlement is a "Sustainable Share of Water" in its own right and must be restored without delay" said Mr Caldecott.
Both agree that the Draft Murray Darling Basin Plan to be released for consultation in June should go some of the way to addressing the environmental water imbalances within the basin. However, given the Basin Plan will not commence until 2011 it is imperative that both the Commonwealth and South Australian governments do all they can now to address the environment water inequalities across the basin and in particular in South Australia below Lock 1, the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth.
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Te Raehira Wihapi, Policy and Media Officer 0411 028 930
