NEWLY elected Member for Murray Helen Dalton is joining her party in calling for a five-year-halt to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) Party says the new state water minister should listen to the overwhelming voice of NSW basin communities and implement the pause.
“Look at the two major basin electorates – Murray and Barwon. The main issue was water, we won the seats and the Nationals suffered a 20 per cent plus swing against them,” party leader Robert Borsak said.
“If government ignores the will of the people, they will do so at their peril.’’
During the state election campaign, SFF released a 10-point plan on water management, which called for a Basin Plan pause, a royal commission into water management and accountability in the Northern Basin.
Mrs Dalton said newly-named NSW water minister Melinda Pavey desperately needed to stand up to federal shadow water minister Tony Burke, who she said was likely to control Federal water policy after the May federal election.
“This week, Tony Burke says he is going to override the states, ignore Minco’s neutrality test and lift the cap on buybacks,’’ Mrs Dalton said.
“This would be devastating for families and communities in my electorate, and it’s exactly what they voted against on March 23.
“We call on the NSW Water Minister to reject Mr Burke’s plans and demand a pause in the Basin Plan.’’