Media Releases
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday, May 21, 2007
Hon David Ridgway MLC
Shadow Minister for Police
Mineral Resources Development, Urban Development and Planning
Mitch Williams MP
Shadow Minister for Water Security,
Industrial Relations, Energy, Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and Forests
Liberals call for independent audit of South East drain system
Opposition Legislative Council Leader David Ridgway said the drain system in the South-East must be subject to an independent environmental audit by the CSIRO or an independent expert panel before any future works take place.
"The drain system appears to have worked for many years, but was devised without factoring in the worst drought in 115 years," Mr Ridgway said.
"It's time for the plan to be reviewed to make sure that its original intent, flood and salinity management, is still being realised without damaging the current environment," he said.
Mr Ridgway said Minister Gago was being so draconian with her approach to a planned extension of the drain that she had issued a Ministerial Certificate to allow the work to start immediately. This has today lead to a confrontation between landholders and departmental staff.
"The affected property owners have no legal recourse to the issuing of a Ministerial Certificate - the Minister must explain why this draconian measure is deemed appropriate in this case," he said.
Shadow Water Security Minister Mitch Williams said the South East's underground water supply was extremely important to the region and the potential impacts of the drains needs to be explored.
"With Padthaway irrigators facing a 40 percent cut in allocations, South East wetlands under stress from a lack of fresh water and the change in land use throughout the last 20 years, it is vital any new drain works are backed by current scientific analysis," Mr Williams said.
"Current climate change conditions combined with community concern means it is now appropriate to postpone any further drain digging to allow for an immediate independent audit," he said.
"The building of the Diddicoolum Drain extension through the property "Kyeema", south west of Willalooka, could have devastating consequences for that property, as well as exacerbating the falling water tables in the Padthaway Basin.
"I call on the Minister to stop the bully-boy tactics and listen to the will of the local residents on this issue. The drain system has been an excellent project that has been developing over the last 20 years. It does not, however, need to progress at any cost through these properties until an independent audit is completed," Mr Williams said.
Didicoolum and USEDS "smart drain" built on dumb maths
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 01:54 PM
Sandra Kanck MP
The Government's case for digging drains in the Upper South East has collapsed following the discovery of a basic maths error according to Democrat MP Sandra Kanck.
"Minister Gago has claimed that the only alternative to drains was to plant deep rooted vegetation on 90% of the Upper South East and that would be too expensive.
"But the CSIRO says that this sort of revegetation is only required on land that is more than 2m above surrounding land.
"Only a third of the Upper South East is more than 2m above surrounding land.
"There are already 300,000 hectares of land under lucerne and 150,000 hectares under native vegetation so we may be well on the way to solving the salinity problem.
"The continuation of the Upper South Eastern Drainage Scheme is based on a basic maths bungle and outdated information.
"The Minister has made much of her new smart drains but she can't escape the fact that the whole drainage scheme is based on a dumb maths error.
"This strengthens the call by local farmers for an independent whole of landscape environmental audit of the Upper South East Drainage Scheme", said Ms Kanck.