FEDERAL Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone, has called on Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett to call Premier Brumby into line. Dr Stone issued a statement announcing that in the May 28th edition of the Victorian Governments Gazette, it mentioned the changes it expects to make to the bulk water entitlements for Eildon dam, to accommodate the North-South pipeline. As most would agree, the North-South pipeline destroys Northern Victoria’s economy and does not help Melbourne.
This bulk water entitlement change allocates 75 gigalitres to Melbourne, despite the Federal Government pre-conditions placed on allocating water to the pipeline. Dr Sharman Stone said under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act, Minister Garrett has designated the pipeline a controlled action under Federal law. “The conditions of this controlled action include that there must be an independent audit of the water savings carried out before any water can be allocated to Melbourne. As well, the environmental reserve in the dam must not be used and thirdly no water can be double counted for Melbourne,” Dr Stone said, “For example water already saved with funding from the Living Murray or Water for Rivers programs may not be allocated to Melbourne, when the intention was clearly for that water to be put to the Murray Darling Basin environment.” Dr Stone said “Fortunately these Orders of Council can be over-turned by a majority vote in the Victorian Parliament. This can be achieved with the cooperation of Coalition and non-government members in the Upper House.” Dr Stone said, the Brumby Government can and must be stopped in its tracks.
