NSW farmers and politicians have been lied to about the state of South Australia’s Lower Lakes, with Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns to visit the area immediately.

“We have all been conned and it must stop,” Ms Dalton said. “I’m calling on Premier Minns to visit the Lower Lakes immediately to see first-hand what I have just seen.

Ms Dalton recently spent five days touring South Australia to discuss the state of the Lower Lakes with SA farmers, fishermen, water experts, locals and indigenous leaders.

Currently South Australia’s Lower Lakes are being artificially kept full of river water using water taken from the Murray Darling Basin. At the same time, sea water is being kept out of the Lower Lakes by seven huge barrages which were erected in the 1930s and 1940s.

“Those lakes were a mixture of sea water and river water for tens of thousands of years. We shouldn’t be wasting valuable river water, which should be used for food production, just so that a handful of rich and powerful South Australians who live around the Lakes have a nice view to enjoy.” Ms Dalton said.

“This has been one of the biggest con jobs pulled on rural farming communities across the Murray Darling Basin and Premier Minns must intervene,” Ms Dalton said.

“No more water from NSW should be taken from farmers upstream if it is going to be used to fill up these Fake Lakes.”

“I’m happy to show Mr Minns what I have seen and introduce him to the people I have spoken to,” she said.

“He should also bring Water Minister Rose Jackson, Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty, and Environment Minister Penny Sharpe. They all need to see this.

“We can’t keep buying the lies being pushed by the Federal Government and some SA politicians when it comes to the Murray Darling Basin. Enough is enough and the NSW Government must act immediately.” 

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 8 February 2024.