The Gillard Labor Government must rule out slashing investment in water saving infrastructure projects, the Coalition’s Murray-Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today.
It’s been revealed today that the Government is considering “redirecting” significant funds from water saving infrastructure projects.
“When Julia Gillard promised more money for water buybacks during the election campaign she never said it would be at the expense of water saving infrastructure,” Senator Birmingham said.
“Now it appears she intends to rob Peter to pay Paul as Labor grapples with its debt laden budget.
“Julia Gillard should immediately rule out slashing spending on water saving infrastructure projects, which have the capacity to restore water for the environment without decimating our food producing irrigation communities.
“Labor ministers appear to be ‘speaking with forked tongue’ at present making sympathetic noises about the impact of cutbacks on rural communities on the one hand, while looking to cut spending in the one area that could allow communities to sustain production with less water.
“This threat to water saving infrastructure spending is an act of cruelty, which is playing with the lives of farmers and the futures of river communities. The slashing of this spending should immediately be ruled out.”