WGCSA
  • Home
  • About
    • Our People >
      • Adrian Hoffmann
      • Troy van Dulken
      • Nick Price
      • Ben Pridham
      • Lachlan Allen
      • Jenny Venus
      • Helen Strickland
    • Strategic Direction
    • Industry Organisations
  • REGIONS
  • Grower Resources
    • SA Assistance Guide
    • Guide For Vineyard Removal & Waste Management
    • Code of Conduct Forum
    • Legal Services Partnership
    • Broadacre Burn-off Smoke Management Guidelines
    • AGW Factsheet for Growers
    • Personal Property Security Register
    • Grape Purchase Agreements >
      • Guide to selling wine grapes
      • Wine Industry Code of Conduct
      • Tips to recover payments
    • Transport Legislation
    • Despatch Docket Books
    • Licensing and Compliance Guide
    • Grower Guide to the Label Integrity Program
    • AWRI Fact Sheets
    • Video Library >
      • FIT4WORK
      • Grower Interviews
      • 2017 Wine Grape Grower Summit
      • WGCSA Councillor Interviews
  • GrowStrong 2025
    • GrowStrong Business Fundamentals
    • GrowStrong Events
    • GrowStrong Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Options
    • GrowStrong Pilot Program
  • Reports & Analysis
    • SA Crush & Pricing Report
    • Grape profitability by region
    • Global Market Analysis
  • PODCAST- Series 1
    • Episode 01- Tom Keelan
    • Episode 02- Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 03- Dr Ian Zajac
    • Episode 04- Lachlan Allen
    • Episode 05- Trudie Stanley
    • Episode 06- Adrian Hoffmann
    • Episode 07- Brett Smith & Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 08- Brad Case & Nicole Clark
    • Episode 09- Mary O'Brien
    • Episode 10- Ashley Ratcliff
  • PODCAST- Series 2
    • Episode 01- Anita Goode
    • Episode 02- Richard Leask
    • Episode 03- Matt Dorman, Callen Bubner
    • Episode 04- Kerri Thompson, Marnie Roberts
    • Episode 05- Simon Tolley
    • Episode 06- Steve Schiller, Rebecca Weatherill
    • Episode 07- Sheridan Alm
    • Episode 08- Nigel Blieschke, Tom Bartholomaeus
    • Episode 09- Roger, Greg and Tim Follett
  • News & Events
  • SHOP
  • EcoVineyards

Response from industry to ABC Four Corners report on the Murray Darling Basin

6/8/2019

 
The recent ABC Four Corners program 'Cash Splash' has ignited debate over the Murray Darling Basin plan. Many different stakeholders have written detailed responses to the program which many argue has portrayed an unbalanced view of the plan. 

As part of WGCSA's membership of Primary Producers SA we have a Natural Resources Management liaison. She has put together a detailed collection of the articles and letters written in response to the Four Corners report.

Responses
  • An open letter from 20 scientists, engineers and water experts.
  • www.themandarin.com.au/112002-well-allow-me-to-retort-angry-academics-line-up-to-defend-murray-darling-plan/).
  • The ABC also followed up with this – www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-12/irrigators-reject-claims-murray-darling-water-scheme-not-audited/11302590  
  • The National Farmers Federation is preparing a complaint (as per the statement at www.nff.org.au/read/6475/farmers-disgusted-yet-another-unbalanced-water.html).

From the NFF statement:

At no point during the 45 minutes of television was reference made to the fact that since 2012 the Plan had returned 2100 gigalitres of water to the river system with almost 700GL coming from efficiency and infrastructure projects. ... Or that the majority of efficiency projects were not carried out by large corporate farms but family farming operations with works valued at, on average, less than $152,000.

Ms Simson said little to no focus was given to the fact that farmers were required to sell water entitlements to the Government, i.e. return water to the environment, in order to access the infrastructure efficiency program. Therefore providing a net water gain to the environment.

"And absolutely no mention was made of the tough scrutiny that applications to access the programs are subject to or the milestone reporting and random 'spot checks' that are carried out by the Australian National Audit Office."

Ms Simson said the program also grossly misrepresented how the water trading system worked.
"There are no new water entitlements. When new dams are built or new crops are planted, water must be purchased from the market – in other words, from other farmers."

"And currently, because much of the Basin is in drought, there are no allocations available for farmers or the environment."

  • The Murray Darling Basin Authority response can be seen here – www.mdba.gov.au/media/mr/mdba-statement-four-corners
  • Minister Littleproud’s response can be seen here – https://minister.agriculture.gov.au/littleproud/media-releases/statement-regarding-issues-raised-on-four-corners
The Murray Darling Basin Authority, the NFF and Minister Littleproud all comment in their statements that they were not contacted for the Four Corners story.

To read the open letter from the scientists, click here. 

Comments are closed.

Support

Contact
Disclaimer
​
Privacy Statement
© Copyright 2020 Wine Grape Council of South Australia (WGCSA) ABN 15 358 317 535 
  • Home
  • About
    • Our People >
      • Adrian Hoffmann
      • Troy van Dulken
      • Nick Price
      • Ben Pridham
      • Lachlan Allen
      • Jenny Venus
      • Helen Strickland
    • Strategic Direction
    • Industry Organisations
  • REGIONS
  • Grower Resources
    • SA Assistance Guide
    • Guide For Vineyard Removal & Waste Management
    • Code of Conduct Forum
    • Legal Services Partnership
    • Broadacre Burn-off Smoke Management Guidelines
    • AGW Factsheet for Growers
    • Personal Property Security Register
    • Grape Purchase Agreements >
      • Guide to selling wine grapes
      • Wine Industry Code of Conduct
      • Tips to recover payments
    • Transport Legislation
    • Despatch Docket Books
    • Licensing and Compliance Guide
    • Grower Guide to the Label Integrity Program
    • AWRI Fact Sheets
    • Video Library >
      • FIT4WORK
      • Grower Interviews
      • 2017 Wine Grape Grower Summit
      • WGCSA Councillor Interviews
  • GrowStrong 2025
    • GrowStrong Business Fundamentals
    • GrowStrong Events
    • GrowStrong Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Options
    • GrowStrong Pilot Program
  • Reports & Analysis
    • SA Crush & Pricing Report
    • Grape profitability by region
    • Global Market Analysis
  • PODCAST- Series 1
    • Episode 01- Tom Keelan
    • Episode 02- Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 03- Dr Ian Zajac
    • Episode 04- Lachlan Allen
    • Episode 05- Trudie Stanley
    • Episode 06- Adrian Hoffmann
    • Episode 07- Brett Smith & Ashley Keegan
    • Episode 08- Brad Case & Nicole Clark
    • Episode 09- Mary O'Brien
    • Episode 10- Ashley Ratcliff
  • PODCAST- Series 2
    • Episode 01- Anita Goode
    • Episode 02- Richard Leask
    • Episode 03- Matt Dorman, Callen Bubner
    • Episode 04- Kerri Thompson, Marnie Roberts
    • Episode 05- Simon Tolley
    • Episode 06- Steve Schiller, Rebecca Weatherill
    • Episode 07- Sheridan Alm
    • Episode 08- Nigel Blieschke, Tom Bartholomaeus
    • Episode 09- Roger, Greg and Tim Follett
  • News & Events
  • SHOP
  • EcoVineyards