“After 861 days as Minister responsible for the Murray Darling Basin, Senator Wong today has announced that she will visit the Basin,” Coalition Basin spokesperson Senator Simon Birmingham said today.
“By issuing a media release entitled ‘Water Minister to Visit Murray Darling Basin’, Minister Wong is demonstrating that she has been failing to effectively listen to and consult with communities in the Murray Darling Basin.
“Minister Wong should be embarrassed at trumpeting this visit as if it were some sort of Royal visit.
“I would have expected Minister Wong would be constantly consulting and engaging with stakeholders throughout the Murray Darling Basin.
“In the same time that Minister Wong has been Water Minister, Opposition spokespeople have travelled the length of the system from Toowoomba to Goolwa and many, many communities in between engaging with stakeholders and learning more about the systems problems.
“In fact, after touring the Basin, Greg Hunt compiled a list of projects which would save 600 billion litres of water.
“Minister Wong will find that over a year and a half later, the same projects are still waiting thanks to her Government’s appallingly slow progress in progressing vital water saving infrastructure projects.
“Minister Wong has failed to progress key promises such as reengineering the Menindee Lakes and has failed to listen to Murray Darling Basin communities.
“It may be 861 days too late, but I welcome Minister Wong’s historic visit nonetheless.”