State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan said she had been warning the government about the impact of the loss of water from the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District and the risks of demand from irrigators downstream outstripping the capacity of the Murray River to supply water for years.
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She said the government should get on and adopt proposals which have been put forward by the Almond Board of Australia and endorsed by other sectors to ‘‘place a moratorium on new water licences for greenfield irrigation developments and a unified water register and clearance platform for greater transparency in the water market.’’
‘‘At the last state election, the Liberal Nationals flagged the need to act swiftly on the growth in extraction downstream of the choke.
‘‘We planned for better market regulation and greater transparency and to make the environment pay its way by looking at how it benefits from spill events.
‘‘We need action, not words. We are willing to work with the government to expedite the changes needed to help keep irrigators afloat.’’
