‘Stripping the guts’ out of irrigated farming

Southern Riverina Irrigators chief executive officer Sophie Baldwin said the Albanese Government can’t have it all.

“On one hand they want Australia to be an ‘indispensable part of the global economy’ and yet they are taking water away from irrigation and our ability to produce staple food and generate wealth by wasting water out to sea at South Australia,’’ she said.

Ms Baldwin said irrigation underpins so many facets of rural communities, from small local businesses and transport to major industry and manufacturing.

“I can’t see how Australia can become a huge player in the global economy when agriculture is continually knee-capped.”

Ms Baldwin said every dollar generated by agriculture had a flow-on effect of between $4 and $7 into the wider community, depending on the commodity.

She said one dairy farmer in the Murray region had this year used 1200 Ml of water and generated around $2.4 million at the farm gate.

“That 1200 Ml used for dairying has the potential to generate between $10 and $15 million as it flows out and through the community, while also employing seven full- and part-time staff.

“This is just one farm business. Multiply that across farm after farm in the southern basin and we have ourselves a real problem when water it taken away.

“I would like to know what the Albanese Government is going to replace this major economic driver with, when they buy back the majority of productive water we have in our irrigation footprint.”

Ms Baldwin said the government was refusing to enlighten the public on the real cost of water buybacks, suppressing this information in the budget and stating it is not for publication.

“Not only do you have the initial cost of buying back water, you will also lose billions of dollars of potential economic generation year after year and it’s radio silence.

“We can hardly become an economic powerhouse when we won’t even be able to produce enough food to feed our nation in a decade’s time.”