-Luke Simpkins, CEO NSW Irrigators Council
It has been a long-held view of the NSW Irrigators’ Council (NSWIC) that The Basin Plan has focused purely on the environment without taking the holistic approach of considering economic and social factors.
It is a simple fact that without jobs there are fewer people in our rural communities. Without water to grow crops, there are no jobs. If there are no jobs available in rural areas, families will move out of the towns, local shops and schools will close down and communities will continue to suffer.
Irrigation farmers and their communities support Australian families on a daily basis. More than 80 per cent of the fresh fruit and vegetables that Australian families enjoy are produced using irrigation.
Our irrigation farmers need the support of Government. We need a plan that supports and recognises our irrigating farmers to ensure efficient, responsible and sustainable use of water in NSW.
NSWIC members are constantly looking at ways to be more efficient and to use water in the best possible way – they understand the value of this resource.
Just last week we saw a group of 12 Southern NSW irrigation farmers pledge to donate 12 million litres of waterto other farmers who don’t have enough water to bathe their children or have stock dying from lack of water.This demonstrate the level of commitment irrigators have to themselves, each other and the local community.
If local farmers are willing to assist each other in these desperate times, then why won’t the Government throughThe Basin Plan?
The Basin Plan is clearly not delivering what it promised to do, and economic and social imperatives are not given the precedence necessary.
