Dear Editor,
I write to express deep concern over the apparent collusion between Edward River Council and Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL) in handling grant money related to water buybacks.
It is becoming increasingly evident that these two entities in collaboration with the government are positioning themselves to control funds that rightfully belong to the irrigators who are most severely impacted by water buyback schemes.
Farmers are the backbone of this region and continue to carry the burden of reduced water availability, rising costs, and uncertainty.
Yet, instead of these funds being directed to support on-ground recovery and sustainability for irrigators, we see local institutions manoeuvering to absorb the money into bloated bureaucracies with questionable track records.
Murray Irrigation, in particular, has shown a blatant contradiction in its actions.
While the CEO and chair publicly reassured shareholders that MIL would not participate in water buybacks, the company has since offered to sell water back to the government.
Such hypocrisy is alarming. How can we trust a leadership team that speaks one way to its shareholders and acts another way in government dealings?
With Edward River Council appearing to partner with MIL in the distribution of grant funding irrigators should be extremely wary.
These funds risk being funnelled into propping up poor governance rather than supporting the communities they were intended to help.
The people of this region deserve transparency and accountability.
Grant money linked to water buybacks must go directly to those on the front lines, our irrigators, not to top-heavy institutions looking to patch up their own missteps.
Yours etc.
Jon Gatacre
Deniliquin