Busting the Myths
Right now, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is deciding how much water to return to the Basin’s rivers. Irrigator lobbyists and agribusiness with vested interests are spouting myths to prevent our rivers from getting the water they need. Here are the facts.
MYTH: The Commonwealth Government will force irrigators to give up their water
FACT: The government only buys water from farmers who decide to sell it...
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MYTH: It’s rained so the Murray-Darling Plan should be delayed or scrapped altogether
FACT: The Plan is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn things around to save the Murray and the communities that depend on it, forever...
MYTH: We can’t afford to return so much water to the environment
FACT: We can’t afford to continue business-as-usual. The costs and risks of not taking action must be heeded...
MYTH: Returning water to the environment will cost jobs and destroy regional communities. What we need is a balance between economy and the environment.
FACT: There are no jobs on a dead planet. There’s no food production, agriculture or irrigation without a river...
MYTH: The Water Act is too focussed on the environment – social and economic impacts have been left out.
FACT: The Act states that the amount of water that can be taken out of rivers must be environmentally sustainable and based on best available science...
