Thwaites holds gun at Mokoan irrigators heads

THWAITES HOLDS GUN AT MOKOAN IRRIGATOR’S HEADS

‘It’s like having a gun held at your head’ is the way one Broken Valley (Mokoan) irrigator described how he felt when reading a letter from the Government this week offering to buy his water.

The irrigator wishes to remain anonymous because he is concerned about possible consequences on the Government’s consideration of the Broken Valley irrigator alternative water saving proposal for Lake Mokoan.

However, Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said, “Yesterday, Broken Valley irrigators received a letter from the Government offering to buy their water.

“The letter stated that there would be a significant rise in the price of water up by $40 to $50/ML from the current price of $6/ML.

“This price rise is said to be a consequence of a move to basin pricing where each irrigation district’s cost of supplying water is calculated and charged separately rather than the cost being averaged over the whole Goulburn Irrigation District.

Dr Sykes continued, “This price rise breaks a written commitment by the Minister for Water, John Thwaites and his predecessor, Sherryl Garbutt that water would remain available to irrigators at a price acceptable to them.

“That says something about the Bracks Labor Government but the fact that the Broken Valley is to be the first to have such a price increase and that the announcement coincides with their so called consideration of the irrigator’s alternative water saving proposal, raises further doubts about the Bracks Government’s integrity and method of doing business.

“The Member for Indi referred to the last letter form the Government, offering to buy water, as an ‘act of political bastardry’ because of the untruths which it contained in misrepresenting the Federal Government’s position on Lake Mokoan.

“This latest letter could be described as an ‘act of political thuggery’ as irrigators still in the midst of a severe drought feel that a gun is being pointed at their heads to persuade them to sell their water and give up the wealth generation potential of the Broken Valley for future generations.