‘Can the Plan’ irrigators blast reform inaction

Irrigators say they are ‘devastated’ the government is failing to heed their calls for widescale reform or the axing of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Irrigators take their protest to Canberra yesterday. Picture: Kym Smith

Irrigators say they are “devastated” the Morrison government is failing to heed their calls for widescale reform or the axing of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Rice grower Shelley Scoullar co-organised a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, declaring 3000 farmers and their supporters wanted the government to “can the plan” unless there were major changes to it.

Ms Scoullar, the chairwoman of regional lobby group Speak Up, said the group was unimpressed with the response from Water Minister David Littleproud and Environment Minister Sussan Ley.

“My hopes aren’t pretty high, and everyone is pretty flat,” Ms Scoullar said of the government’s response to her group’s demands to give more water to farmers.

“We really hoped that — showing we had the community support behind us — our ministers would realise how important this is and how desperate everyone is.

“I’m really disappointed in our government. This is our future and I want to continue to eat Australian food, but our food security is at jeopardy if we do not get water policy right.

“Not only that. Our rivers are being destroyed.”

Eighty trucks drove around parliament as part of the “Convoy to Canberra”. People held placards with phrases such as “Can the Plan” and “Little to be proud of” as they approached the doors of Parliament House.

Dozens of protesters stayed outside in a “water embassy” into the evening.

Among 10 reforms the Convoy to Canberra is demanding are that 1000 gigalitres “lost in transmission down the Murray” should be classed as environmental flows, giving more water to farmers.

The group is also calling for a review of the Murray-Darling Agreement, a rewriting of the Water Act and establishment of a water ownership register.

A spokesman for Mr Littleproud said he met a delegation of the protesters, as did Ms Ley.

“The government knows there are communities and farmers doing it tough right across the Murray-Darling Basin. We respect the protesters,” the spokesman said.

Opposition water spokeswoman Terri Butler said the government had “made a mess of water”.