THE Victorian Farmers Federation claims Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek is continuing to ignore farmers.
VFF water council chair Andrew Leahy said despite multiple attempts by the VFF to meet with the Commonwealth, Ms Plibersek’s key water adviser and Murray-Darling Basin Authority staff visited Shepparton last week without meeting farmers.
“There is no group more impacted by the Basin Plan than farmers and the Commonwealth has chosen to ignore us,” he said.
“Farmers are central to the discussion around water in the Murray-Darling Basin.
“It’s completely unacceptable that despite multiple attempts to open discussion with decision makers, farmers continue to be ignored.
“It’s a slap in the face when we’ve previously invited the minister to northern Victoria and also offered to fly to Canberra to meet with her and discuss concerns with the Basin Plan.”
Mr Leahy said the government had an “apparent lack of interest in how the Basin Plan” was impacting farmers.
However, a spokesperson for the minister rejected these claims, saying Ms Plibersek regularly met with the National Farmers Federation and irrigator representatives.
“To say that the minister has not been engaging with farmers or farming groups is simply wrong,” the spokesperson said.
“Advisers from the minister’s office, the department and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority visited the Shepparton region recently.
They met with a variety of stakeholders including the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District water leadership group and Goulburn-Murray Water.
“The group also met with farmers and visited a dairy and irrigated pasture farm in the area to see the latest agricultural and water technology.”
The spokesperson said Ms Plibersek met with the chair of the VFF when she visited Mildura in July, as well as local farmers, irrigation groups, environmentalists, First Nations and local elected officials.
“The minister has also visited a variety of agricultural businesses and farmers in the southern basin in the last few months, including visiting an irrigated winery, citrus growers and touring an irrigated farm just out of Griffith,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Leahy said the organisation was requesting an urgent meeting, with the offer to talk still on the table.
