In recent times we had the hoarding of dunny paper.
It was necessary for our Prime Minister to address the nation and say stop the hoarding: "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!”
But with water it is a different matter. The government does nothing to stop it.
The same principle applies. If some water owners hoard a lot of water, others miss out.
Who are the ones who miss out with water? The farmers who use their water to grow food for this nation.
Who are the biggest hoarders of water? The environment and water traders who produce no food.
We have the incredible situation in Victoria where about 500 000 megalitres of water will have been used for farming during season 2019-20, with at least 1.2 million megalitres of hoarded water left over in a very dry season up until now.
We have a number of groups of concerned irrigators formed, asking our Prime Minister to give them an allocation of the water they own.
But he can’t because the water in storages is hoarded water.
These groups have to demand our Prime Minister to stop the hoarding of water, so farmers can get allocated the water they own each year.
These groups have been formed because the VFF, NFF and National Party have failed to deliver their water, but support the hoarding policy which gives us a flooded river each year and high water prices for water traders.
I say to these groups: unless you demand the Prime Minister remove the government policy which encourages water hoarding, you will achieve nothing than the status quo.
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