After reading the opening statement to the recent Senate Inquiry into changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan from the Shepparton-based GMID Leadership Forum, my emotions were a mixture of anger, frustration and sorrow.
This group accurately pointed out that most presenters to the inquiry were from outside the basin and “once again failing to demonstrate any empathy with the more than one million people who make their homes in the Basin, but once again lining up to set out ideas and approaches that would have significant impact on their lives”.
The continued: “Very few of these ‘external’ presenters ever mentioned the people of the basin, except to suggest that the impacts of their ideas would probably not be as bad as feared, that anxieties were overstated, that basin communities didn’t really know what was good for them, and incredibly, even suggesting that because some towns, production systems and economies were going to have to change anyway, any impact of further water recovery didn’t matter much.”
What has happened to our nation? Where has the compassion for fellow Australians gone?
We are being dominated by academia and environmental ideology from those who will never suffer the consequences of their preferred actions.
For the record, more than 3000 jobs lost from the first round of water buybacks was not ‘overstated’ if you were one of those left jobless.
Concern at past closures of a local school or sporting club due to population decline, and fears this will continue with more water buybacks is not ‘overstated’.
And while I was initially angry and frustrated that city academia seem not to care about human beings who share their nation and put food on their tables, my lingering feeling was sorrow.
I feel sorry for the lack of compassion shown by these people, and headed by our Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Because if they possessed any grace, and empathy for fellow Australians, they would work with us on the proven solutions that can provide Basin Plan implementation without destroying communities and livelihoods.
As the Goulburn Valley leaders stated: “The blithe dismissal of the human impact of this Bill, and the callous invisibility of our friends and families, was very hard to listen to.”
What a shame that in 2023 political expediency trumps compassion. This has not been the Australian way.
Yours etc.
Shelley Scoullar
Albury
17°C