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THE Victorian Government has called for a cut to the amount of environmental water to be recovered under the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Modelling commissioned by the Government as part of its response to the draft plan shows no significant difference in environmental outcomes at key sites if only 2100GL was recovered instead of the 2750GL called for under the draft plan. 

The draft basin plan proposes 2750GL be diverted from irrigators to the environment, with the lion’s share being recovered from Riverina and Victorian irrigators.

However, the Government says there should be a smarter approach to environmental watering.

Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh said the findings could save the Commonwealth up to $1.3 billion if the lower figure were included in the plan.

“The health of the Murray, including the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth can be secured by using less water than what has been proposed by the draft Basin Plan,” Mr Walsh said.

“This would leave more water for food production and provide a future for the hundreds of communities that rely on the Murray for their livelihoods.”

The modelling, by Sinclair Knight Mertz, shows works using regulators, pipes and pumps and changes to river operations and rules can be used to achieve the same environmental outcomes as 2750GL of water.

The SKM report shows if only 2100GL was recovered then the Lower Lakes would be above 0.35m in 72 per cent of years and would only fall below zero in one year.

The modelling was done with a package provided by the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

In its submission to the draft plan the Victorian Government criticised the 2750GL as severe and “unacceptable, especially given the MDBA’s proposals and the high level of uncertainty in the plan.”

Mr Walsh said the report shows the money set aside for buybacks should instead be invested in works to improve the rivers management.

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/19/484381_latest-news.html

STAND up and fight for your town – that’s the message from Keith residents to rural communities battling to survive.

As news reached the South-East farming community yesterday that a year-long battle to save its hospital had won it a life-saving $350,000 government funding injection, there was a collective sigh of relief from residents.

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“Be persistent and be heard,” said Keith IGA owner Russell Davis.

“Let them know that you’re not going to go away, no matter how hard the fight gets.”

Keith, like so many towns, has been battered by poor seasons and financial pressures that led to businesses shutting their doors.

A $370,000 State Budget funding cut to the town’s privately run hospital last financial year should have been the killer blow.

Not in Keith, though.

The community of 1200 found the fire and people power to survive and the community spirit to help it overcome the legacy of the region’s toughest battle.

Hospital board chairman James De Barro even bought a ticket to a Labor fundraising dinner to take the community’s concerns to Premier Jay Weatherill.

“I was desperate to sit down and have a conversation,” he said.

But Deputy Opposition Leader Mitch Williams said the Government’s failure to listen to the Keith community left the hospital with no other choice but to buy time with the Premier.

The battle to keep the Keith and District Hospital doors open – including raising $400,000 -has taken a toll on the town’s other community and sporting organisations.

Hospital board member and rural supplies business operator Noel Evans said the hospital funding cut was a “kick in the guts” for Keith.

“It’s been a huge struggle,” he said. “All the other sporting clubs and groups have suffered, so there is a social impact on the town as well.”

The extra funding creates problems for the Health Department, as it struggles to cut spending and meet savings.

Keith Hospital chief executive Bill Hender said the $350,000 for 2012-13 would secure two permanent doctors instead of using locums. “It’s by no means an answer in itself,” he said.

“The offer to hand the hospital over to the government still stands.”

“I think the community and the hospital board are tired and they will be very relieved (with the offer).”

Read more on Adelaide Now.

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/19/484385_latest-news.html

OPPOSITION leader Isobel Redmond says SA needs to focus less on the mining boom and more on farming and food security.

Ms Redmond and her team toured the Riverland yesterday to help form policies and strategies ahead of the next election.

She said mining and defence had become the new “buzz words”, but agriculture was equally, if not more, important.

“People start to think that the backbone of this state is mining and defence, when in reality those two combined don’t account for as much of our state product as agriculture does,” Ms Redmond told The Advertiser.

“Clearly the irrigation area of South Australia is of fundamental importance for the state moving forward. I think we have huge opportunities because we have such a clean, green, pristine environment, that we can export to the rest of the world produce that I believe there will be a fantastic market for. We have a fabulous future in agriculture.

“But everyone wants to say the new buzz words are mining and defence. They’re terrific, but we’ve got to do other things.”

As the State Government sweats on whether or not BHP will move ahead with the Olympic Dam expansion, Ms Redmond said the debate on food security would be just as crucial at the next election.

“Food security and the ability to grow our own food and water security will be, I think, high on the agenda at the next election.

“The Government has been talking about the mining boom for 10 years, but the reality is that we are really still in a mining exploration boom and even that has tailed off in the last few  years.”

Riverland Wine Grape Growers Association executive officer Chris Byrne, who met with Ms Redmond yesterday, said the industry still faced huge challenges, but over the past year there had been “pretty good signs that things are on the improve”.

He said there had been improved demand and prices for wine grapes in the past year, but the industry was still a long way from returning to the prosperity that it had enjoyed 10 years ago before the drought.

Ms Redmond said that a sound manufacturing industry was another  essential plank of the state’s economy.

Read more on Adelaide Now.

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/19/484405_latest-news.html

TWO men have been injured in a microlight plane crash in central western NSW.

Emergency crews located the pair after being called to a property near the town of West Wyalong about 8.30am.

They found a 35-year-old local man with a suspected broken pelvis and spinal injuries. He was airlifted to Canberra Hospital and is in a stable condition.

A 27-year-old man was also treated for a lacerated leg at a local hospital.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other civil aviation authorities have been notified.

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/18/484165_latest-news.html

THE Victorian Liberal Party has launched an investigation into bitter preselection infighting over a key marginal federal seat.

Corangamite, in Victoria’s southwest, was won by Labor’s Darren Cheeseman by a mere 771 votes at the 2010 election, from Liberal candidate Sarah Henderson.

Liberal preselection for the seat, which had been in conservative party hands for 76 years up to 2007, is expected to be confirmed by mid-June.

But it’s believed the three-way contest has become a bitter infight between rivals linked to either Peter Costello or Michael Kroger, who last week had a spectacular and very public falling out.

Ms Henderson, an award-winning journalist and lawyer, is believed to be supported by Mr Kroger’s forces and federal leader Tony Abbott.

Mr Costello’s allies have reportedly backed former Howard government ministerial chief-of-staff Rod Nockles.

Physiotherapist Marcus Dripps will also contest the tightly-fought preselection ballot.

In a statement, Victorian Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach said: “I can confirm that an internal party investigation has been launched into the preselection for the federal seat of Corangamite.

“The investigation will be thorough and will be conducted under the guidelines of the Party’s constitution.”

“I will not be making any further public comments about this investigation.”

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/18/484185_latest-news.html

AGL is turning off nine turbines at its 32-turbine Oaklands Hill Wind Farm near Glenthompson each night due to concerns about noise.

Southern Grampians Shire mayor Robert Penny told Weekly Times Now he’d heard reports of a “clunking sound” and as a result the company was turning turbines off at night.

“There were some noise issues raised by the community. It was a clunking noise but I understand the company is getting rubber cogs from overseas,” Cr Penny said.

An AGL spokeswoman said the project was at the generation stage and the company’s standard practice was to have wind farms operating 24 hours a day.

“However, nine wind turbines at the Oaklands Hill Wind Farm are voluntarily being turned off from 8pm to 7am, to address current resident concerns regarding noise,” she said.

“This is a temporary measure until the installation of a permanent acoustic treatment has been implemented.

“Oaklands Hill Wind Farm remains compliant with regulatory noise requirements and the decision to turn off the turbines at night is a reflection of the high standards AGL places on all our assets.”

Article source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/18/484225_latest-news.html