It was interesting to note last week the Goulburn Valley Environment Group calling for the second stage of irrigation upgrades to be abandoned so that government could purchase more water for the environment and in particular for the red gum forests that are to be protected by being declared national parks.

Given the acknowledgement the forest's greatest threat is the current water shortage - something a change of land tenure to a national park will not fix - it is surprising environment groups are letting the government get away with stealing water previously promised to the Loddon, Goulburn and Murray rivers.

Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding has reallocated 12 000 Ml currently held in Eildon, saved by the WimmeraMallee pipeline and promised for the environment, to be sent to Melbourne via the northsouth pipeline, a fact well known to GVEG.

Having heard the strident and frequent calls of GVEG and other environment groups to lock up the Barmah forest to protect it, one wonders why they are silent on the theft of existing promised water from the environment they were so keen to protect.

Do something useful by getting back already promised environmental water, instead of trying to take it from irrigators.

Max Rheese

secretary

Rivers and Red Gum

Environment Alliance

What next - imported wheat?

When the American military forces were in Australia during WWII they described Australia as "a vast desert with a fertile fringe".

A near-enough description except that about half the coastal fringe is desert like most of the rest of the continent.

Australia is a land with great mineral resources of coal, iron and uranium etc capable of supporting industries with a large workforce.

The missing part is foodproducing land to support a big industrial population.

Great strides have been made by Farrer and his successor plant breeders and agronomists in developing wheat varieties suitable to our climate and soil conditions and erratic rainfall pattern that is consistently inconsistent.

In the 1930s and '40s some farmers gave their lives to developing appropriate marketing procedures for wheat.

In the stress of WWII Horace Knock MP for Riverina led a deputation of wheat growers to see Prime Minister Curtin with a proposal to encourage farmers to grow wheat for human consumption.

Mr Curtin heard the proposal and the Chifley Government that succeeded Curtin put in place the very successful marketing scheme that was recently abolished by the Rudd Labor Government.

Under the free marketing of wheat it will not be long before Australia has to import wheat for human consumption and stockfeed.

Well done Pat Drum and other supporters of the Single Desk.

Kevin O'Neill

Tocumwal