Common sense and decency have run dry The Murray River and its associated wetlands, floodplains and groundwater systems have been listed as "critically endangered." Picture: Nadine Williams Source: The Advertiser IF you were unsure whether this Government is as dysfunctional as it appears to be, read this tale. We all know the highly charged debate about water in the Murray-Darling system. The Government, cheered on by its green allies, has systematically taken water from rural communities in the name of sending more water down the river and eventually out to sea. It's a process kicked off by former Liberal PM John Howard. The principle of returning water to the environment is supported by farmers, who realise over-allocation in the system's northern section has starved rivers. But their complaint is with how it is being done. The Government buys water as cheaply as it can, taking it from the irrigation system, while rural communities ponder their future as farmers leave the land and the local area. The farmers have argued the Government should instead invest in fixing leaky irrigation systems so the same amount of water can be saved, the farmers remain on the land and communities survive. But that is too hard for a Government that needs to appease the Greens with quick fixes. For instance, a $10 million tender to buy water allocations from irrigators in the Riverina's Murrumbidgee, Murray and Lower Darling catchments was released on August 5, a day after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the election. But that had nothing on the doozy of a decision The Weekly Times has discovered. In one of the sneakiest - and weakest - moves seen in politics for a long time, we learnt one of the final acts of this Government before it slipped into caretaker mode was to declare the Murray River and its associated wetlands, floodplains and groundwater systems "critically endangered." No grand announcement that would usually accompany such a major decision. Just a wave of the pen that could potentially create a wave of red tape over farming along the river. Not that anyone knows if that will be the case. Most of those who would suffer any impact from such a move were unaware of the Government's action until they were told by The Weekly Times. The move has baffled and angered irrigators, who fear the decision will add another layer of bureaucracy to an already complex environmental compliance system. That red tape fear has been reinforced by the environmental view of the decision. "One important consequence was that any proposed development or activity which was likely to have a significant impact will have to be assessed and could not proceed unless it was granted approval," said the Australian Conservation Foundation's Jonathan La Nauze. The decision, which came from a recommendation from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, may actually have little impact on farming techniques. But the future is the big unknown. What really irks rural communities is the lack of consultation. "It appears the only things critically endangered in the basin are common sense and common decency," said National Irrigators' Council chief executive Tom Chesson. He has demanded the Government explain why more bureaucracy was being imposed on basin farmers and communities. Of course, the Labor Government may never have to explain anything again. This desperate and sneaky move appears to be the equivalent of burning the camp before the invaders arrive. Which raises the real question: What is really critically endangered - the Murray or this Government? I suspect it is the latter. AT LEAST there appears to be one win for agriculture heading into the election. The Coalition has promised to review Managed Investment Schemes. This blatant tax dodge was introduced by the Howard government: upfront tax breaks were paid to investors in useless projects such as bluegum plantations. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of southwest Victoria were planted with these trees before the major MIS companies collapsed, because there was no market for the bluegums. Taxpayers, investors and farmers all lost in the MIS craze. Hopefully, it will become a distant memory - if the politicians keep their word. Ed Gannon is editor of The Weekly Times