Tuesday, 10 September 2019

 Mr BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (17:45): My matter is for the Minister for Water in the other place, Minister Neville. Last Thursday, on 5 September, I drove to Tocumwal in New South Wales to attend a rally protesting the Murray-Darling Basin plan. The rally was pretty big, around 2000 people cramming onto the foreshore of the Murray River, which was pretty full given that we are in a drought situation. I listened to some politicians, and more importantly I was hearing from people directly affected by the Murray-Darling Basin plan. It is clear that the plan is not working, and it is clear that something must be done. We cannot just sit idly by and watch farmers and irrigators around the north of the state get smashed against the wall with unaffordable water. Families which have been farming for many generations are facing a bleak future, and we now see many having to walk off the land due to drought considerations, made worse by the mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin plan. I call on the minister to initiate whatever actions are necessary to withdraw Victoria from the plan and work with the other states involved to come up with a plan that is fair for all, not just South Australia.