The Cr Straub highlighted the vital role that water played in sustaining northern Victorian communities.
“Across the Murray River Group of Councils region, agriculture and food manufacturing underpin everything,” he said.
“Our region produces more than $8.3 billion in food every year, and around 16,000 local jobs are tied directly to this.
“Our councils and communities are on the front line of the basin plan’s impacts, and it is vital that our voices are heard; that’s why we came to Canberra.”
Cr Straub said the meeting was positive and the discussion open, which was welcome.
“We were able to tell of our belief that the basin plan is not delivering for our region,” he said.
“We don’t support buybacks, and especially the government’s current, non-strategic programs of open market water purchases, as these put our irrigation districts and our farmers at risk.
“We were happy to hear from Minister Watt that he wants to minimise the negative impacts on our communities while seeing the basin plan delivered.”
MRGC emphasised to the minister the importance of genuine investment to offset the negative impacts of the basin plan.
“We don’t want trinkets or grant programs,” Cr Straub said.
“We need meaningful funding that unlocks investment to keep jobs in our region and creates new economic activity that brings new permanent jobs to our communities.”
“The other key principle that MRGC has that we made clear to the minister is that new jobs need to be created in the communities where jobs are being lost — moving jobs to regional centres won’t help our towns.
“We thank Minister Watt for hearing us and look forward to working constructively with him and his department.”
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