THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has called on primary producers to air their water issues, at a forum in Echuca this evening (Thursday).
VFF President David Jochinke said the forum was a perfect opportunity to hear from Victorian water minister Lisa Neville, on a range of issues. They included updates on the Murray Darling Basin Plan, the $2.1 billion Connections Project, and water trading. “Rural communities have seen significant impacts through the loss of irrigation water because of the Basin Plan. This this forum is a proactive step to involve the whole community in addressing concerns around water.”
Ms Neville would give a presentation, before joining Mr Jochinke on a panel to take questions from the audience.
Mr Jochinke said a major topic of discussion was expected to be the controversial developments, surrounding the rollout of the Basin Plan.
“We know how important water is to our irrigation communities and it’s vital that we do everything that we can to protect this important asset,” Mr Jochinke said.
“It’s great to see both the Victorian and NSW governments working together to minimise the potential impacts of the Basin Plan on irrigation communities by reviewing the offset mechanism, and balancing environmental outcomes.”
