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Victoria’s waterways are in poor health despite the massive environmental tax imposed by the Brumby Government, an Auditor-General’s report tabled in State Parliament today has revealed.
Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said the Control of Invasive Plants and Animals in Victoria’s Parks report showed three-quarters of Victoria’s waterways were degraded.
“Victorians are paying dearly and they expect the state’s water is being sustainably managed, yet the Brumby Government’s incompetence has left the state’s waterways in a dire condition,” Mr Walsh said.
“Since Labor introduced the environmental water levy in 2004, the government has reaped more than $300 million from household and rural water users.
“But instead of improving the health of the state’s waterways, John Brumby has redirected a significant amount of the funding to find ‘savings’ for the north-south pipeline to boost Melbourne’s water supplies.
“In the past two years, more than $43 million collected under the environmental levy has gone towards upgrading irrigation infrastructure in the Goulburn Valley.
“Instead of using savings from the project to improve the health of the Murray, Goulburn and Snowy rivers as originally intended, Labor’s immediate plan is to send that water to Melbourne to reduce water restrictions.
“Regional communities are suffering as the state’s water resources become an election year cash-cow for the Brumby Government.”
Mr Walsh said Labor’s environmental credentials were in tatters.
“The Brumby Government has looted environmental water from Lake Eildon and the state’s heritage-listed rivers,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Auditor-General’s finding is not surprising when the government has earmarked environmental water destined for the Murray, Goulburn, Loddon, Campaspe, Snowy, Thomson and Yarra rivers for Melbourne.”