Water Minister Penny Wong has today refused to indicate satisfaction with her Government’s current flawed deal governing management of the Murray Darling Basin. The refusal came in an interview on Adelaide radio, following Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s policy announcement last night to deliver true national management of the Basin. Senator Birmingham: “…is…
(Leigh Hatcher: Joining us now from Adelaide is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Murray Darling Basin, Simon Birmingham. Simon Birmingham, thanks for your time this morning. Hasn’t this idea been trialled in the past and failed?) Well no, not at all, Leigh. What Tony [Abbott] has outlined is a clear plan of action to tackle some…
Coalition policy announced last night by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will deliver true national management of the Murray Darling Basin. “The founding fathers’ failure to provide for national governance of the Murray Darling Basin has resulted in more than a century of unsustainable pressure being placed on the system,” Coalition Murray Darling spokesman…
Melissa Parke, Member for Fremantle, and Chair of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF, and Senator Simon Birmingham, the Association’s Deputy Chair have called on concerned Australians to donate to UNICEF’s emergency appeal in order to provide life-saving essentials for those affected by the Haitian earthquake. Donations can be made by visiting www.unicef.org.au or by…
The New South Wales floodwaters saga highlights the need for genuine national management of the Murray Darling Basin and should be a learning experience, Coalition Murray Darling spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham welcomed an in-principle agreement from the New South Wales Government to release ‘reasonable’ flows downstream but said the situation…
The Rudd Government should clarify the status of its expensive Whaling Envoy and whether he’s in for the long haul, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. It follows revelations, through Senate Budget Estimates, that the Envoy’s never-ending ’round the world mission’ of diplomatic dialogue has already cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars…
Acting Prime Minister Gillard and Premiers Rann and Keneally must give Murray Darling Basin officials in-principle approval to release emergency floodwater for downstream communities today, according to Coalition Murray Darling spokesman Simon Birmingham. The Basin Officials Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the floodwaters about to flow into the Menindee Lakes. This committee,…
(Spence Denny: It’s fair to say that the relationship between South Australia and New South Wales is strained at the moment … it’s all to do with water … with the significant flood in New South Wales falling into the Murray Darling Basin area and making its way south but just how much of…
(Joe O’Brien: Opposition Murray Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham says hundreds of billions of litres of water flowing from the Darling River into the Menindee Lakes in New South Wales will be wasted because of delays in processing long overdue infrastructure works. For more, Mr Birmingham joins us now from Adelaide. Simon Birmingham, good…
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should convene an urgent meeting of Murray-Darling Basin State Premiers to negotiate truly national management of the system, Coalition Murray Darling spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. The Rudd Government’s failure to achieve national management of Basin waters has been highlighted by New South Wales having total say on how…