What are Premier Brumby and Prime Minister Gillard hiding?
November 16, 2010
It would appear the State and Federal Labor Governments have something to hide following their latest move to delay the reporting of water savings and environmental impacts as part of EPBC Act conditions of approving the construction of the North-South Pipeline.
Before the Rudd Labor Government approved the North-South Pipeline and Foodbowl Modernisation Project, they set a condition of annual reporting of savings and proper environmental impact analysis.
On the 28th of October, two months after the long awaited environmental and water savings audits were due, the Federal Government has allowed changes to the reporting date to now be 30th of November, after the state election.
Dr Sharman Stone, Federal Member for Murray said you had to question the motives of the State and Federal Labor Government’s changing the date of this report until after the election.
Mr Brumby originally justified the pipeline on the basis that the Foodbowl Modernisation would deliver over 200 Gigalitres of water savings.
“It has since been conceded that changing water wheels to meters and plastic lining channels does not give you another 200 Gigalitres a year. That is why NVIRP decided instead it would have to reduce the irrigation footprint by 60 percent.
Sharman Stone said the other possibility of the reporting delay is that the Foodbowl Modernisation project has been so chaotic, and poorly managed that NVIRP has not been capable of reporting anything on time.
“August last year came and went with this same late reporting issue.”
“If this is the case Prime Minister Gillard should be calling her State colleagues into line. Not giving them a get out of gaol free card.
“People deserve to know exactly why these reporting conditions have changed, and how their tax dollars are being spent,” Sharman Stone said.
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