Release: Farmers need water not handouts

Release: Farmers need water not handouts

The Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, the nation’s largest grassroots advocacy group representing taxpayers, today called for revision of the Murray Darling Basin Management Plan.

“While Scott Morrison made a valiant attempt to help drought stricken farmers, he is offering them a bandaid for a brain aneurysm.” Say ATA Communications Manager, Emilie Dye. “Farmers need water not government handouts.”

“Protestors bemoan our imminent extinction all the while ignoring a real man made environmental crisis hitting our farmers. The Murray Darling Basin Authority has implemented water limits in order to achieve nonsensical environmental goals. By flushing fresh water into the ocean the MDBA is hurting both the river ecosystem and the farmers dependent on that water.”

“ScoMo’s overhaul of red-tape surrounding drought aid will help farmers for the time being. However, farmers don’t want to merely survive on centrelink handouts, they want to farm. By revising the Murray Darling Basin Management plan and ending this self inflicted drought the government wouldn’t have to give farmers funding just to get by.”

“Rather than treating symptoms we need to get to the root of the problem. Government regulations and water buybacks have disrupted the agricultural ecosystem. Let farmers farm. Stop the MDBA Drought.”