The Macquarie River and Marshes are likely to decline if the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)’s Northern Basin Review is implemented, Dubbo environmentalist Melissa Gray said.
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The review, which was endorsed by the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council earlier this month, has proposed a 71-gigalitre reduction in the Macquarie-Castlereagh catchment, including a 28GL reduction in the Macquarie River.
But Macquarie River Food and Fibre chairman Michael Egan said the review took a more holistic view than the original Murray-Darling Basin Plan and would actually return 12GL to the Macquarie River.
Ms Gray, who has launched a petition on the issue, said less water for the Macquarie Marshes would “threaten the resilience of the entire ecosystem”.
“Native fish need the rivers to be connected so they can move between a variety of habitats to complete essential life stages,” Ms Gray said.
“The current level of water in the river is considered the bare minimum required to keep native fish populations at a sustainable level.
“Further reduction of flows … will inevitably mean loss of species and fewer and less healthy native fish.”
She said the review’s proposals were based on “erroneous information”.
“The big rogue irrigators are saying that the factors are higher than what the data suggests because they didn’t take into account the millennial drought in their average figures,” Ms Gray said.
“The science hasn’t been updated on the Macquarie River since the basin plan was implemented in 2012, so how could they make what would be a devastating decision without updating the science?”
Mr Egan said the environmentalists were the ones “cherry-picking” information.
“Unfortunately the environmental lobby haven’t moved on; they think it’s all about water but it’s not all about water. It’s about how you use the water,” he said.
“The MDBA have now moved their attitudes to outcomes, not water volumes and that’s the new, common sense approach to what is achievable.”
Mr Egan welcomed the recommendation for 12GL to be returned to the Macquarie, but said it didn’t go far enough.
“In the Macquarie we’re still not happy, it’s nowhere near where it should be but at least now they’re staring to talk common sense,” he said.
“Warren, Trangie and Narromine are doing it tough, under strain because of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and that hasn’t changed.
“Under the review, the towns are still under considerable stress because of the loss of employment in the industry, and the multiplier effect that has around the towns and districts.”