Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ENVIRONMENT GROUPS SILENT ON STOLEN WATER
The Victorian government has stolen the first environmental water allocation saved from the
Wimmera – Mallee pipeline promised to the new red gum national parks along the Goulburn
and Murray rivers, without comment from environment groups, according to the Rivers and
Red Gum Environment Alliance.
“The Victorian National Parks Association, Goulburn Valley Environment Group and other
groups had plenty to say about protecting drought stressed red gum forests over the last few
years. In their campaign for the
creation of new national parks they acknowledged
more
water was needed for the forests, but have not said a word about the Water Minister, Mr
Holding
diverting 14,000 megalitres promised for the forests to Melbourne” said Peter
Newman, chairman of the Alliance.
“The hollow promise of the government to protect iconic red gums while failing to provide the
promised available water should be exposed by these groups if they genuinely cared about
the health of the forests.
“We would encourage these groups to honour their publicly stated concern for the forests by
demanding the government return the environmental water allocation to the Goulburn and
Murray rivers” said Mr Newman.
“Everyone is in agreement the greatest threat to the forests is a lack of water, including the
government. Their first chance to provide 14,000 megalitres of promised environmental water,
now to be diverted to Melbourne, exposes this whole process of purporting to save the red
gums as a fraud.
“Either the red gums need to be protected and provided with water or they don’t. The
government has said the forests need the water, but when push comes to shove, they sell out
the environment and rural communities again, while environment groups stay silent” said Mr
Newman.
Recent published polls show that the majority of country Victoria believes the government has
an appalling record on water management. Many in northern Victoria think the easy option
taken by the government in declaring new national parks without any real commitment to good
environmental outcomes is proven by this diversion of promised environmental water.
“Local communities know the forests need more water and active management, but the
Barmah forest will get neither under the current flawed National Park Act, which has seen the
red gum forests in the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park described by government funded study in
2007 as the most degraded forests along the Murray” concluded Mr Newman.
December 2nd 2009
Local communities fear that the government has imposed a management regime that has
already failed red gums in other parks and is discarding a proven successful model in the
internationally recognised Ramsar treaty under which the Barmah forest has been well
managed for the last 27 years.
-
ENDS -
Media release: Govt saves iconic red gum forests 271109
Media Contact: Max Rheese 0428 621320. info@rrgea.org
The Rivers & Red Gum Environment Alliance is a not-for-profit community and user group
based environment organisation having no political affiliation. A viable solution to the land and
water management challenges facing the red gum forests along the Murray River and its
major tributaries is paramount for the environment as well as the communities along the
rivers. For more information about the Alliance, visit www.rrgea.org
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