Last chance to return the Murray Darling Basin to health

MEDIA RELEASE
8 October 2010

The Wilderness Society has welcomed the release of the guide to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, describing it as a positive step, but warns flow return targets may not be high enough to restore Australia’s great river system to health. 

We have known for years the amount of water taken from the Murray Darling is completely unsustainable. We urgently need to restore the balance between irrigation and the environment.

In less than a century, water extraction from the rivers of the MDB has increased by 500%. In some areas waterbird populations have declined by more than 80% and 90% of the Basin’s floodplain wetlands have been destroyed.

Whilst recent rains have brought much needed temporary relief, RAMSAR listed wetlands of international importance such as the Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes need long term end of system flows.

A submission by a team of Australia’s leading river scientists to a Senate Inquiry in 2008 states that “ If we are to maintain healthy rivers and provide high quality water to produce food, our analysis suggests that the consumptive use of water across the Murray Darling Basin may have to be cut by between 42 and 53 percent”.

Reductions in water use don’t always mean reduced agricultural production. Between 2001 and 2007, dry conditions meant irrigation industries used about 70% less water and the economic value of irrigation production fell by only 0.12%.

Healthy communities rely on a healthy river. People and our wildlife can’t survive without it.