Labor's Murray Darling plan is sowing uncertainty, say farmers

The Labor Party has promised to scrap the deal to deliver the 450GL of 'upwater' to SA and remove the 1500GL cap on water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan if it gains power at the federal election.

Katunga's Paul Stammers said Victoria's Water Minister needed to stick up for producers.

"It will filter through to the community, and there won't be any jobs, it's as simple as that."

He said the proposals were making it harder to maintain confidence in how dairy farmers ran their businesses.

"On the one hand, Labor wants to regulate the dairy industry and on the other hand crush it - the north was Victoria's largest dairy region.

"It doesn't make sense to me."

He said it appeared there was no-one to vote for, in the upcoming Federal poll, which would favor the dairy industry.

"If you vote for the Liberals, they are doing nothing about the water situation either."

The plan to lift the buyback cap would benefit those with permanent water, as the price would skyrocket.

"It will just shut the industry down," he said.

Steve Hawken, Echuca, said if Labor went ahead with its plans, it would just be another nail in the industry's coffin.

"I don't think they know what they are doing, and I'm not the only one that's saying that," Mr Hawken said.

"They've spent billions on upgrading infrastructure, but who is going to be using it, in two or three years?"

He said dams and irrigation systems were put in place to mitigate against drought.

"We are going to hit bottom, there is no question in my mind, it's beyond laughable," Mr Hawken said.

"We need to be able to take that water, use it constructively to feed the country, support the economy and local communities."

He said the claims came on top of uncertainty and confusion about the rules.

"Even when you are buying water and talking to the brokers, no-one really understands the rules, the whys and why nots."

Stuart Young, Wyuna, said the plan had the potential to divide the country further.

"It's creating more uncertainty; no-one is sure whether it's achievable, or not.

"We're not sure if its political bluff, but we have enough issues, without losing any more water."

He asked if the Labor Party was interested in rural communities.

"Are they city-centric, or do they care about all Australians?

"Most people feel as if it's us against them, which is not what we want.

'We don't want the country to be divided, we all want to get on."

Cohuna's Stuart Palmer said selling water would be too big a carrot to resist, for cash strapped farmers.

"It's not good; it's scary - it got really scary, when Labor mentioned compulsory acquisitions a month ago," Mr Palmer said.

"If they get in, they will just take the water - it's going to become too attractive to farmers, who own water, not to take up that option."

He said water leaving the region had a significant impact on towns and communities.

"The district looks terrible at the moment, 32 dairy farmers have left the area recently.

"If you talk to most of the farmers around here, they are going to July or August, and if the spring is dry, they are out.

"The day they unbundled water was the day they ruined it for irrigation farmers."

He said dairy farmers could only pay a certain amount for water, to remain viable.

"The water needs to be subsidised, by the government, we can only pay a maximum of $200/ML, any more than that and you may as well go to the beach and your feet up."

He said he helped coach the under-14's football team.

"We only have 13 kids in the whole area, 13 under-14 boys, they are just not around, which is sad."

"I'd love to sit down with that Tony Burke and give him a mouthful - he just doesn't understand what he's doing to communities.

"He's just going to ruin them."