ABC Mokoan Forum highlights differences

The key difference between the supporters of the total decommissioning of Lake Mokoan and those wishing to retain it in some form were highlighted at a public forum held in Benalla, attended by nearly 300 people, and organised by the ABC.

Nationals member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, said… “It was clear to me that irrigators such as Wayne Spinks really know their stuff, having worked on the issue for over five years. Wayne and his fellow farmers know the issues and offer a practical common sense solutions to make water savings, while retaining security of supply of water, enhancing the environment, providing flood prevention to Benalla, protecting Aboriginal heritage sites and ensuring a bright future for our young families.

It is a different situation with many who support total decommissioning.

The Government are peddling half truths and straight out factually incorrect statements.

Some environmentalists have a dream about returning the wetlands to their original state - an impossible dream. At best a new wetland will need to be created but it will need a lot more money than is currently allocated and will take many decades to achieve.

Dr Sykes continued, “Fortunately, there is an opportunity to work together as Charles Jones of Benalla District Environmental Group indicated his preparedness to consider other options such as partitioning the lake into a water storage and wetland as has occurred at Barren Box Swamp, NSW. Mr Jones support is conditional on the proposal meeting water saving and environmental needs.

Benalla Rural City Council Mayor, John Brownstein, expressed a similar view and the ALP candidate said that he was prepared to “take” a proposal to the Minister for Water although he doubted that any proposal would meet all identified needs.

Dr Sykes concluded, “I congratulate Joseph Thomsen and his ABC colleagues for initiating and conducting the forum.

I will continue to work with the local community to achieve the ‘win win’ outcome that we all so desperately want.”

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    Big crowd airs Lake Mokoan views
Thursday, 16 November 2006. 15:09 (AEDT)Thursday, 16 November 2006.

Nearly 300 people attended a community forum last night about Lake Mokoan in Benalla, in north-east Victoria.

The crowd was feisty and the discussion divisive.

The panel included representatives from local and federal governments, environment groups, irrigators and Benalla's state political candidates.

There were voices in favour of the decommissioning in the crowd, but they were in the minority.

The Labor candidate for Benalla, Rob Mitchell, told the forum decommissioning is the only way to secure water for the future.

"This is the right thing to do," he said.

Benalla Mayor John Brownstein was less sure about the community's and the council's support.

"Council can change its position at any time it chooses to," he said.

Other members of the crowd voiced concerns over the future security of their water and criticised the planned wetlands to replace the lake when it is drained.

The Nationals' Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, says the proposed wetlands for the site have not been thought through.

"What we are going to end up with is a weed infested jungle," he said.

He told the forum a good alternative to decommissioning would be to partition the lake into water storage and wetlands.

He says a similar model in New South Wales has achieved water savings and water security.

Mr Sykes says despite the Labor Party's claims, there is no other way to achieve both those things.

The Liberal candidate for Benalla, Hamish McMillan, agrees with Mr Sykes.

He says alternatives to the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan must be considered.

"The Liberal Party have been committed to retaining Lake Mokoan for six years since the whole fight started, and it's just unfortunate that we've, until next Saturday, been in Opposition and hopefully we can turn that around," he said.

The Justice for the Broken Valley Group is preparing its own proposal, which will keep some water storage at Lake Mokoan. It hopes to have an initial plan by next month.

Mr Mitchell says he would take any reasonable alternative plan to the Water Minister.