Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SAVE THE MURRAY: REMOVE THE BARRAGES
The Australian Environment Foundation today called for innovative thinking to help
restore confidence in the future of the Murray Darling Basin
by discussing the
benefits of removing the barrages at the Lower Lakes.
Former chair of the AEF, biologist Dr Jennifer Marohasy said “It is difficult to believe
the claims in the Basin Guide released last week that the solution to all the problems
of the Murray Darling Basin lies in taking more water from communities.”
“It will be of limited value to the environment to buyback between 3000
and 7600
gigalitres of water for the Lower Lakes and the Murray mouth while the massive steel
barrages effectively block ninety per cent of the natural flows to the Southern Ocean.
The least worst scenario
for communities
in the Basin Guide allocates 2000 of the
3000 gigalitres returned to
the environment to Murray River outflows,
thereby
propping up a man-made artificial environment created 70 years ago with the
construction of the barrages. This will be achieved at the expense of upstream
natural environments, communities and food production.
“All of the discussion on improving the health of the basin has focused on a
reallocation of water rather than the alleged benefits
of
keeping the Lower Lakes a
freshwater system.
“Remove
the barrages and return the lakes to their natural estuarine state for the
sake of the environment in the whole basin” said Dr Marohasy.
The health of the Murray and the basin will be a feature of a presentation to the AEF
annual conference in Brisbane this weekend. Dr Marohasy will detail the natural
environment of the Lower Lakes prior to the construction of the barrages and dispel
some of the myths about the health of the Murray in her presentation to the
conference.
The Murray: A fresh perspective
-
ENDS –
Media Contact: Dr Jennifer Marohasy 0418 873 222 Max Rheese 0428 621320
The Australian Environment Foundation (AEF) is a not-for-profit, membership-based
environment organisation having no political affiliation. The AEF is a different kind of
environment group, caring for both Australia & Australians. Many of our members
are practical environmentalists –
people who actively use and also care for the
environment. We accept that environmental protection and sustainable resource use
are generally compatible. For more information about the AEF visit www.aefweb.info
October 14th 2010
NEWS 
