Greens candidate for Gippsland East, Jill Redwood, said that the Greens is the only party which has onsistently and actively supported the return of flows to the Snowy River. It is also the sole voice in Parliament that has spoken out for the low impact community plan to upgrade and protect Bastion Point.
“Sadly, the saga of the Snowy River highlights the Labor government’s contempt for the far flung voters of this electorate. This government has dishonored its own promises and its own law. We have seen a major betrayal on the Snowy,” said Jill Redwood. “The river is as parched as when our politicians promised to rescue it 10 years ago.”
“Last year we should have seen 15% of its natural flows returned and next year 21%. Just recently our political representatives celebrated a piddling 6% as a great achievement. It’s too grim to even laugh about”, said Ms Redwood. “Do irrigators across the range and the Snowy Hydro Corporation have more weight in the 'balancing act’ than East Gippsland or adhering to written laws?”
“The other 10 year battle has been for Mallacoota’s beautiful Bastion Point. Despite the majority of locals wanting a more sensitive and cost effective plan to upgrade the boat ramp, the $6.5 million industrial scale earthworks is supported by Mr Ingram and the Labor party. Although part of the Wilderness Coast, they want a breakwall, large scale clearing, roading and ongoing dredging.”
“The industrial upgrade would destroy a stunningly beautiful coastline”, said Ms Redwood. “Even the Supreme Court Judge commented during the legal challenge that the plan was overkill.”
"Minister Madden and Mr Ingram are both ignoring the advice of the Government’s independent expert panel. It tendered a 200 page report recommending that the proposal be abandoned due to the high risk of boats exiting and entering broadside to the waves, and the break-wall would inhibit visibility."
“The community’s low impact, engineer-endorsed plan is less than one-fifth the cost of the current plan. The Greens in Parliament supported this as it improves ocean access, upgrades the boat ramp, provides safety for all and maintains the beauty of Bastion Point."
“We need political representatives who are for the local community.”
For comment: Jill Redwood 5154 0145
Further information: Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Showing posts with label snowy river. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snowy river. Show all posts
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Another broken promise for the Snowy
Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria, Samantha Dunn today highlighted the governments’ broken promises on the Snowy River and said it was a symptom of their inability to do what’s right for the river, its dependent communities and honour its own legislation in regard to the Snowy.
“As they party over a measly 6%, the people are asking where's the legislated 15% flows to the Snowy, let alone the 28% flows identified by scientists as the minimum to keep the river alive,” said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria, in response to the secret announcement on the Snowy today by the NSW, Victorian State and Commonwealth Government.
“We’ll see some lovely pictures on television of gushing water through the Snowy today, but next week and after the election it will be back to reduced flows. This is simply a rehash of a promise made in 2002 with a price tag of an additional $13.7million to taxpayers.”
“I can understand why the public weren’t invited to this announcement; there are too many awkward, unanswered questions.”
“If the Government is allowed to get away with another broken promise while we watch one of our most iconic rivers dry up before our very eyes, what can they be trusted on? That’s why it’s important to have Greens elected in the Upper House to keep whoever wins government accountable to its promises,” concluded Samantha.
Further information: Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
“As they party over a measly 6%, the people are asking where's the legislated 15% flows to the Snowy, let alone the 28% flows identified by scientists as the minimum to keep the river alive,” said Samantha Dunn, Greens candidate for Eastern Victoria, in response to the secret announcement on the Snowy today by the NSW, Victorian State and Commonwealth Government.
“We’ll see some lovely pictures on television of gushing water through the Snowy today, but next week and after the election it will be back to reduced flows. This is simply a rehash of a promise made in 2002 with a price tag of an additional $13.7million to taxpayers.”
“I can understand why the public weren’t invited to this announcement; there are too many awkward, unanswered questions.”
“If the Government is allowed to get away with another broken promise while we watch one of our most iconic rivers dry up before our very eyes, what can they be trusted on? That’s why it’s important to have Greens elected in the Upper House to keep whoever wins government accountable to its promises,” concluded Samantha.
Further information: Samantha Dunn 0429 29 29 04 or samantha.dunn@vic.greens.org.au
Saturday, April 10, 2010
no flow for snowy
I recently toured East Gippsland and found myself in Marlo where the Snowy River meets the sea. A wonderful part of Victoria, the place bursting with recreational anglers, kayakers and bushwalkers, enjoying the great natural environment.
But underlying this beautiful slice of Victoria was the sad and sorry state of the Snowy River. It was alarming to see the state of the river, degraded, with obvious signs of strain and lack of water flow. The silting, apparent, above the water line, was a tragic sight of how this mighty river is suffering under years of lack of natural water flows.
It is a tragedy to see this iconic Australian river in such a degraded state. If there is any hope of saving the Snowy and restoring it to a much healthier state there must be environmental flows of 28%, to do anything less is failing our heritage and our future.
As far back as 1996 the Expert Panel Flow Assessment of the Snowy River Below Jindabyne recommended a 28% mean annual natural flow needed to maintain a healthy Snowy River.
The current Labor government under Steve Brack’s leadership promised they would restore 28% flow to the Snowy. That all changed when the Snowy Hydro was corporatised in 2002, however legislation committed to funding the restoration of 21% of annual natural flow to the Snowy below the Jindabyne Dam.
The legislated environmental flow targets for the Snowy River indicate by 2009 the return of 15% flows, by 2012 the return of 21% flows and after 2012 the return of 28% of environmental flows in line with the advice of the Expert Panel back in 1996.
The reality of the water flow in the Snowy is a stark difference to the legislated flows and paints a picture of a river under extreme duress. Actual Snowy River Environmental flows are shocking, in 2002/03 the environmental flows were 1.7%,
2003/04 3.3%, 2004/05 2.8%,
2005/06 4.3%, 2006/07 3.9%,
2007/08 3.5%, 2008/09 4.04%
and for this year (2009/10) planned releases of 4.01%.
A long way from the legislated 15% and nowhere near the 28% the Snowy needs to recover.
But underlying this beautiful slice of Victoria was the sad and sorry state of the Snowy River. It was alarming to see the state of the river, degraded, with obvious signs of strain and lack of water flow. The silting, apparent, above the water line, was a tragic sight of how this mighty river is suffering under years of lack of natural water flows.
It is a tragedy to see this iconic Australian river in such a degraded state. If there is any hope of saving the Snowy and restoring it to a much healthier state there must be environmental flows of 28%, to do anything less is failing our heritage and our future.
As far back as 1996 the Expert Panel Flow Assessment of the Snowy River Below Jindabyne recommended a 28% mean annual natural flow needed to maintain a healthy Snowy River.
The current Labor government under Steve Brack’s leadership promised they would restore 28% flow to the Snowy. That all changed when the Snowy Hydro was corporatised in 2002, however legislation committed to funding the restoration of 21% of annual natural flow to the Snowy below the Jindabyne Dam.
The legislated environmental flow targets for the Snowy River indicate by 2009 the return of 15% flows, by 2012 the return of 21% flows and after 2012 the return of 28% of environmental flows in line with the advice of the Expert Panel back in 1996.
The reality of the water flow in the Snowy is a stark difference to the legislated flows and paints a picture of a river under extreme duress. Actual Snowy River Environmental flows are shocking, in 2002/03 the environmental flows were 1.7%,
2003/04 3.3%, 2004/05 2.8%,
2005/06 4.3%, 2006/07 3.9%,
2007/08 3.5%, 2008/09 4.04%
and for this year (2009/10) planned releases of 4.01%.
A long way from the legislated 15% and nowhere near the 28% the Snowy needs to recover.
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