“Government actions wreaking havoc”

The Shepparton News Editorial Tuesday 9th December accuses the Commonwealth Government of deliberately delivering water that has damaged the Goulburn River without offering any evidence to support the assertion.

Goulburn River in Spring, Shepparton. Photo by Mel Stagg.

The delivery of this water is coordinated by a joint States and Federal Government committee that not only achieves the best outcomes currently available but has strict rules that safeguard against any damage to the environment. To achieve the full potential of water held for the environment the easing of constraints (low lying public and private lands requiring easements to allow brief inundation) to flows is an essential part of the Basin Plan. Unfortunately for our Goulburn River, support for easing constraints has not been forthcoming from the irrigation sector, local government and the Victorian government. The easing of constraints allows the delivery of E-water to connect with the hundreds of wetlands along the Goulburn and thousands downstream.

The Goulburn River has suffered considerable past damage, predominately over summer months with unnaturally high flows to satisfy downstream irrigation. Little or no damage can be attributed to past environmental flows. This is not unexpected, as no “new” water has been created for the environment, entitlement volumes in Eildon remain the same as they were prior to the Basin Plan. It is impossible to understand how returning some of the damaging high summer flows to more natural winter/spring flows could do anything but improve the overall health of our Goulburn River.

To accuse the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) of acting “without fear and without research” flies in the face of significant research and monitoring taking place in the Lower Goulburn and across the Basin. CEWH’s science and monitoring program (Flow MER) shows that these flows have reduced erosion, supported riverbank deposition, and promoted riverbank plant germination and growth.

The accusation also ignores and is an insult to local consultation, namely the Goulburn Environmental Water Advisory Group (Goulburn EWAG), its members include State and Federal EWH’s, GBCMA, GMW and importantly, indigenous nations, local landholders, fishing and tourism interests. This EWAG has access to all information on E-Flows including timing, motoring and outcomes of each flow.

The Goulburn EWAG has significant input from landholders and fishing interests who constantly question the science and seek answers to fish breeding challenges. In GVEG’s opinion the Shepparton News editorial fails to constructively add to readers knowledge and understanding of a complex issue and maligns the roles and inputs of the CEWH and locally managed advisory committees.

John Pettigrew, GVEG Secretary.