Protesters will head to Canberra to complain about SA’s water, but Water Minister David Speirs will halt their flow

IRRIGATORS are heading to Canberra on Thursday to fight plans to deliver South Australia 450 gigalitres of river-saving water, but Water Minister David Speirs says he’ll be going to the capital to fight for SA’s share.

IRRIGATORS are heading to Canberra on Thursday to fight plans to deliver South Australia 450 gigalitres of river-saving water from the Murray.

But Water Minister David Speirs says he’ll be going to the capital to battle for the state’s share, which he declared as “fundamental.”

Speak Up, a “voice for rural communities” plans to send a busload of people ahead of tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting that will discuss the hard-won 450GL.

NSW and Victoria both threatened to quit the Murray-Darling Basin Plan before delivering SA’s water, but the Federal Government nutted out a deal with Labor that promises the water will flow.

But some upstream crop growers argue the water cannot be saved without harm to rural farms.

“We all know the devastating impacts (saving the 450GL) will have on our communities and our environment, not to mention the impact on staple food production,” a Speak Up statement says.

Mr Speirs dismissed the claims and will push to get the 450GL projects underway as soon as possible.

Protesters at the Murray Mouth, campaigning to block changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan. Picture: Conservation Council SA.

“The 450GL remains absolutely fundamental to SA’s confidence in the Plan,” he told The Advertiser.

“The Plan had a big shake recently but I think it’s steady now. My overriding goal with the Ministerial Council meeting is about relationship building.

“We’re at the table now and ready to take up a leadership role,” he said.

Mr Speirs says he’s particularly passionate about the Coorong, and keen to work through conflicting advice about its health and its future.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote to him this week urging him to hold his nerve and “stare down” the interstaters.

As the party’s Murray spokeswoman, she wrote that she is concerned any challenge to the 450GL could risk “condemning the Murray to a slow death from the mouth up”.

“If the 450GL previously promised to SA is not locked in at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting, the environmental outcomes of the Murray Darling Basin Plan are in serious jeopardy,” she said.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan overall comprises 3200GL, the absolute minimum needed to restore the river’s health. Upstream states saw 450GL of that — which would mainly benefit SA — as an optional extra before the deal was done to deliver all the water.