Sunraysia Irrigators Council Inc submission extract to VEAC

- VEAC study is based on acceptance of the claim that the red gum forests of the Murray and Goulburn are on the point of destruction and need to be managed differently.
* SIC. (Sunraysia Irrigators Council)
- These forests only became densely populated with red gums after the regulation of the rivers (dams, weirs etc) around the nineteen 20’s.
- The red gum forests have multiplied and flourished under the current multi-use management. Recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, hunting, fishing, 4 wheel driving, horse riding and motor cycle riding are just some of the activities conducted in these forests during that time.
- White settlement has not destroyed the red gums, in fact quite the reverse has occurred.
- The forests belong to all of the people, not just minority vested interest groups such as environmentalists, and traditional aboriginal occupiers.
- SIC does not accept the claim that the forests need saving. It believes that the current multi-use management exercised by the community and Government departments should continue.
VEAC: Overall Assessment:
- Main recommendation is for more environmental water for overbank flooding .
- Admits it is impossible to cost these recommendations.
- Claims a net increase of $92m/annually to Victoria. Yet offers no evidence to support this, and excludes the cost of the environmental water.
- Admits the benefits would be mostly for people outside the investigation area, mainly Melbourne. While most of the costs would be borne by the locals in the area.
*SIC.
Grave concerns at the omission of the cost of environmental water from the report. SIC has no doubt this is a deliberate action to conceal the real impact on the community of the VEAC proposals.

VEAC.
Environmental Water:
- Need 4,000 gl of water for overbank flooding every five years.
- VEAC wants all Victorians to pay for this water via a special tax.
- VEAC is prepared to buy water at market prices. Average current price is $2,250 per megalitre, which equals $8.8 billion.
- Concedes this will reduce irrigator security.
- Wants increased security for environmental water over all other water.
- Claims dubious benefits.
*SIC.
- Goulburn to Melbourne pipeline will use 75 gl annually. VEAC environmental overbank floods will use 80 gl annually.
- 4000 gl is the entire content of Dartmouth Dam.
- Huge impact on the entire regional economy of the Murray and Goulburn Valleys. Will amount to $1 billion loss of farm gate income and $4 billion regional economy annually.
Claims by VEAC Chairman at the Mildura public meeting that VEAC only intended to piggy back on natural flooding events and really did not expect to buy this water on the market, did not reflect what is written in the report. SIC says that Mr. Malcom selectively used only the information which supported the VEAC report, and avoided the entire facts as presented in the report.
Danny Lee Chairman SIC