Scientists reject Murray draft plan

April 5th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Top water and climate scientists have rejected a plan to save the Murray-Darling river system, maintaining proposed increases in groundwater extractions will not benefit irrigators on the Murray’s lower reaches.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s draft plan to restore the river’s health recommends returning 2750 gigalitres of water to the river system annually, mostly through voluntary water buybacks and improvements to infrastructure.

It also recommends an extra 2600 gigalitres be extracted from underground aquifers in the basin.

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists questions the calculations, saying they ignore much of the long-term connection between surface and groundwater.

“Surface water users and the environment will feel major effects as a result of this potential increase in groundwater extractions,” the Wentworth Group’s report, released on Wednesday said.

While as much as half of the 2600 gigalitres figure represented good quality water, the other half would be useful only for activities other than irrigation, the report said.

Much of the good quality water would come from fractured rock aquifers in the eastern highlands, and would provide the base flow for virtually all the creeks and rivers in eastern and central parts of the Murray-Darling Basin.

But irrigators on the Murray’s lower reaches, particularly those in South Australia, would miss out.

“If you’re an irrigator or anyone that relies on that downstream flow, if (water) is taken before it reaches you, then you are not going to see it,” Wentworth Group environmental engineer Tim Stubbs said.

South Australia’s concerns include endangered fish species being threatened by low-water levels.

Floodplains that are home to black box and river red gum woodlands would also gain little benefit.

The Greens say 4000 gigalitres of surface water is needed to help flush out two million tonnes of salt each year to keep the river healthy.

South Australia spokeswoman Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said it didn’t make sense to return surface water to the river system while allowing groundwater extractions to increase.

“Increased groundwater extractions don’t tackle the major problem of over allocation through the basin,” she said in a statement on Thursday.

“It risks repeating history all over again where we have allowed more water to be removed than the river can sustain.”

The Wentworth Group further criticised increasing groundwater extractions, expressing concerns the increases would be made available free of charge, or at discount rates to irrigators who were already receiving “large sums of taxpayer money” for their surface water entitlements.

The water could in turn be sold “for a windfall profit,” the group maintained.

Consultation on the draft plan is entering its final weeks.