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MEDIA RELEASES PUT PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS ON NAMOI WATER: DRAPER "The article in Saturday January 11th edition of the Northern Daily Leader entitled Structural adjustment funding for Namoi to give viable future is yet another blow to farmers, and to irrigators in particular," said Independent Candidate for the electorate of Tamworth Peter Draper today. "The National Party pledged $40 million to compensate irrigators directly affected by changes to the water sharing plan in the Namoi Valley. This was one of the main issues raised by John Cull during his electoral campaign last year, and the $40 million commitment was continually used by Mr Cull and Mr Anderson for political advantage prior to the election," commented Mr Draper. "For Mr Anderson to claim credit for a $20 million reduction in the Federal Government's public commitment is another example of the National Party putting politics before people. No matter what spin Mr Anderson puts on this issue, the fact remains that irrigators who were promised compensation by Mr Cull and Mr Anderson are going to miss out. Also, by walking away from the $40 million Federal commitment, Mr Anderson gave the State Labor Government an opportunity to significantly disadvantage farmers with their legislative package." "The National Party has already misled country people over their stance on Native Vegetation, Threatened Species legislation and the Scientific Committee panel. Water reform is yet another example of the National Party saying one thing to the electorate yet delivering the opposite when it comes to the crunch." "None of the major parties, neither State or Federal, have come out of this structural adjustment with any credit, and none can hold their heads high over water management during the last 50 years. The irrigators who are directly affected are quite prepared to take their medicine and be a part of the solution, but they must be adequately compensated so they can diversify into alternative farming practices," Mr Draper pointed out. "It's about time people were put before politics, so that country people do not have to pay the cost created by years of bureaucratic mismanagement of water allocations in NSW." " How can Mr Anderson possibly claim that this package was an important opportunity for the Namoi Valley to ensure it was not adversely affected by the water sharing plan?" asked Mr Draper. "Doesn't Mr Anderson recognise that the irrigators affected by the Federal Governments backflip actually live in the Namoi Valley? This decision will certainly have an adverse impact on those farmers and the communities they farm in, and hits hardest at people who used to be considered National Party heartland." "I believe that it's time both Federal and State Governments considered people first, and reassessed the need to compensate farmers directly affected by the changes," Mr Draper concluded. End Release |