It seems none of them are widely read on the cold hard facts of why any relaxed constraints flows from the upper Goulburn and mid Murray River simply cannot have any positive effect on increasing flows in the Lower Murray, unless man-made major floods such as those of 2016 and 2022 are created.
The minister was totally clueless of the fact that the Hydrological Outcomes document that investigated the feasibility of constraints in the Goulburn and Murray stated: “The beneficial environmental impacts of relaxing constraints in the mid-Murray and Goulburn tend to decrease with increasing distance downstream of the Barmah Choke. Modelling suggests relaxing constraints will result in no change in the frequency of environmentally desirable higher flow rates in the Murray River at the South Australian border under all relaxed constraints scenarios tested in this stage of the Victorian Constraints Management Project.”
In fact, none of the bureaucrats had read the above document, which repeatedly states relaxed constraints flows, as modelled by the MDBA, The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the University of Melbourne, from the Upper Goulburn and mid-Murray, have no significant impact past Torrumbarry or at the South Australian border.
The minister also told us that he was unaware that the Goulburn Broken CMA had repeatedly stated that it did not need or want any more water for the Goulburn. It has 650GL and struggles to use all that.
GBCMA chief executive Carl Walters has continually said: “We can’t have the Goulburn River treated as a sacrificial lamb to downstream needs. It has essentially destroyed the characteristics of the lower Goulburn with bank slumping, erosion and declining native fish populations.”
The MDBA and CEWH advise the minister on environmental buybacks, so in my book, these bureaucrats are culpable of either misinforming the minister, or the minister himself is slow-witted and uncomprehending.
Regardless, Mr Watt told us face-to-face and in no uncertain terms he intended to continue buying back the 450Gl
Despite the fact that the purpose of the 450Gl was to be delivered to the Lower Murray and South Australia to achieve “enhanced environmental outcomes” and, has now been proven to be unachievable, the minister intends to keep spending billions of taxpayer dollars.
As environmental water entitlements make up 44 per cent of entitlements in the Goulburn Valley consumptive pool, it is obvious this excess water, which will have to be stored in the upstream storages, will in wetter years with more unpredictable rain events cause major flooding of landowners on the riverine floodplains. And in drought years will exacerbate food and fodder shortages.
Water policies as devised by the basin plan have created an over-abundance of environmental water, which now controls our national food and fodder security.
The MDBA, CEWH and Mr Watt are all answerable to the public. They are all guilty of spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a project that has proven to be unviable and unachievable and certainly not value for money as all procurement programs must be by law.
Jan Beer
Representing Upper Goulburn River Catchment Association, Yea
