10 January 2006

MURRUMBIDGEE IRRIGATION SUPPORT FOR PRIVATISED SNOWY

Australia 's largest private irrigation company has thrown its support behind the proposed privatisation of Snowy Hydro.

Murrumbidgee Irrigation receives water from the Snowy Scheme each year under current legislation. This water when combined with that captured through NSW storages supplies Murrumbidgee irrigators and underpins hundreds of millions in regional industry production.

Murrumbidgee Irrigation Chairman Dick Thompson expressed surprise at opposition to the move.

“Negative comments and misinformation from some quarters about the privatisation of Snowy Hydro have been carelessly made in absence of critical facts. Regardless of who owns Snowy Hydro that group will still be subject to existing legislation, regulations and agreements and as such there is no new threat to either irrigators or the environment from privatisation.

Our Company intends to continue to work with Snowy Hydro, regardless of who owns it to seek better outcomes for irrigators and Snowy Hydro” said Mr Thompson.

Mr Thompson was also critical of public comments from Victorian MP Craig Ingram on the issue.

“Craig Ingram was elected to the Victorian Parliament on the platform of increasing flows to the Snowy River .

Murrumbidgee Irrigation was amongst the first to support increased flows to the Snowy provided they came from investment in savings. Since then we have commenced work on the Barren Box Swamp project that will return around 20,000 megalitres each year to the Snowy River .

As such I am extremely disappointed that Mr Ingram has roundly criticised the move on the basis that it undermines the security of irrigator's rights and the future needs of the environment. It has nothing to do with either of these things and is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to ensure that current arrangements can be altered at the expense of irrigators.

He is already pushing for a change to the Snowy flows agreement that would have major impacts on NSW Murray and Murrumbidgee irrigators. These moves must be totally rejected.

Mr Ingram should come clean about his true motives and engage with all concerned about opportunities for the future not scare-mongering.