The National Farmers’ Federation does not support the Federal Government’s decision to list the River Murray and associated systems as a Critically Endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
NFF Water Committee Chair Malcolm Holm said the listing adds another layer of complexity to an already heavily regulated system, without clear environmental benefit.
“The Murray River corridor is already one of the most tightly regulated landscapes in the country,” Mr Holm said.
“Adding an EPBC listing on top of the Basin Plan and existing state and federal laws creates unnecessary duplicative complexity and will potentially interfere with existing water regulatory processes.
“We’re still trying to understand the detail of this decision, but right now it’s unclear why more red tape is needed when we have existing mechanisms like the Basin Plan and Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, or if this will compromise the Basin Plan Review.”
Mr Holm said that a far better approach would be to nominate European Carp as a Key Threatening Process.
“If the Government is serious about biodiversity outcomes, it should start with the real curse in the system – carp. Declaring carp a Key Threatening Process and properly funding control and eradication would deliver far greater environmental gains than another listing.”
The NFF also warned the listing could also complicate water recovery projects under the Basin Plan.
“We have members extremely concerned about today’s announcement. We will seek further detail from the Government about this decision and its implications,” Mr Holm said.
The NFF has outlined its concerns in a detailed submission to the Government.
For more information, see the NFF submission here.
Stacey Davidson
Ashleigh Whittaker