Wong flunks Lake Mokoan test

Sophie Mirabella, the Federal Member for Indi, has today condemned the response from the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water to the Victorian Government’sdecision to decommission Lake Mokoan.

“Last December, I wrote to Minister Wong seeking confirmation of the previous Coalition Government’s public commitments regarding Lake Mokoan, namely that no Commonwealth investment or support would occur unless ‘the Victorian Government has accurately determined the reliability of water supply in their proposal’,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“In response, Minister Wong has simply regurgitated the words of the Victorian Government to justify her refusal to stand up for local farmers and irrigators who will lose out under the decommissioning process.”

“I asked Minister Wong a very simple question, namely, that the Rudd Government not support the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan without a guarantee of equivalent reliability of supply. I find it curious that she has chosen to not answer this question and instead simply jumped on the Victorian Government bandwagon hellbent on the path to full-blown decommissioning,” Mrs Mirabella said.

"Sadly, Minister Wong relies on the Spring Street defence when she informs me that ‘the retention of Lake Mokoan as a water storage is clearly not sustainable due to its significant water loss and ongoing water quality issues’,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“Clearly, Minister Wong doesn’t care or simply can’t stand up to her Labor mates in Victoria,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“The Justice for the Broken Valley group presented a cohesive and refined plan to save Lake Mokoan from decommissioning. Sadly, no-one in the Victorian Government gave the alternative proposal the attention it deserved.”

“Minister Wong has again dismissed the alternative proposal which is yet another slap in the face to local farmers and irrigators who had invested much time and energy into having their views heard,” Mrs Mirabella said.

“I have no confidence in the Brumby Government’s handling of this issue, nor of Minister Wong’s ability to handle this difficult portfolio. I shall again be writing to Minister Wong to respond to her claims and seek answers to the simple questions that I posed to her which were ignored in her response,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.