Save the Murray Darling!
The Federal Government's Murray Darling Basin Authority has released a draft report that recommends far less than 3000-4000 billion litres of water their own report said was required to be left in the river to ensure its survival only a year ago -- and much less than what independent scientists say is required.
Australia's most important river system ends in South Australia, and the state's Premier believes the River's health is their most important issue. He's written a letter to GetUp members to ask them to join his call to the Federal Government to follow the science and protect the Murray Darling. Read the letter and write to your local MP using the talking points below.
A year ago the Federal Government released a report which showed between 3000 and 4000 gigalitres had to be returned to the river if it was to stay healthy enough for our long term needs. But yesterday the Government backed away from its own science and released a plan which would find only 2750 gigalitres for the river by 2019 - far less that what independent scientists say is required to restore the river system to health.
The Federal Government's plan must:
The Federal Government's plan must:
- Flush two million tonnes of salt from the Murray River
- Keep the Murray mouth open
- Restore the important wetlands and floodplains in the Basin
- Stop the decline in populations of waterbirds and native fish
- Make sure the river environment can cope better next time there's a drought
- Deliver a sustainable irrigation industry
For more information click here to visit the Murray-Darling alliance of groups, of which GetUp! is a member amongst community members both from the Basin and metropolitan Australia–who are concerned that Australia's lifeblood, the Murray-Darling Basin, is severely degraded by decades of over-use of water.
