Government defends strategy to save drought-parched Australian river

The government promised in April to spend 3.1 billion Australian dollars (US$2.9 billion) to buy back river water allocated to irrigated farms in a bid to revitalize the Murray-Darling river system - essentially paying to leave the water in the river.

The Murray-Darling basin produces 40 percent of Australia's fruit, vegetables and grain. But a decade of below-average rainfall that the government blames on climate change is ruining farmers. The lack of fresh water is also threatening both flora and fauna at the lower reaches of the river.

The Australian national newspaper reported Tuesday that the government's buyback of water allocations was only expected to deliver 10 megaliters of water - equivalent to 10 Olympic swimming pools - to the parched river system this year.

Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong defended the buyback scheme, despite environmentalists agreeing that the additional water would not be enough to avert looming and irreversible ecological damage downstream.

"After years of inaction and in the midst of a drought and the effects of climate change, the government is working to improve the health of the rivers," Wong told reporters Tuesday.

Wong received a scientific report in May warning that the unique ecology of the downstream reaches of the river would be irreversibly damaged if there was not sufficient water by October.

Environmental scientist Peter Cosier told the newspaper that the volume of water to be returned to the river by the government buyback this year was "insignificant."

Australian Conservation Foundation rivers' campaigner Arlene Buchan said the buyback would improve river flows in the long term. But urgent government action was needed to release water from upstream dams to address a critical shortage downstream.

"This won't return much water to the river system in the short term," Buchan said of the buyback system.

Cosier could not be immediately contacted for comment Tuesday.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email