Major parties ignore climate change impacts on the Murray

J.Buckingham MLC in Darling River

The Labor and Liberal parties have refused to support including the impacts of climate change in the flawed Murray Darling Basin Plan in the Senate today.
"Labor says they're taking climate change seriously, but they refuse to acknowledge it affects the Murray Darling Basin," Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"A party that takes climate change seriously does not side with an anti-science, climate denying Government to sell out the Murray.
"The Murray Darling Basin Plan is in tatters. It has been rife with corruption, water theft, and the simple fact it does not account for climate change proves it was set up to fail.
"South Australians know too well how important the Murray is to our state; to our drinking water, our environments, and our communities.
"We are experiencing climate change right here, right now. Our country is becoming drier and hotter and our river needs protecting. The major parties continue to turn their backs on South Australians who want a strong, healthy river."

Labor voted with the Morrison Government against Senator Hanson-Young's below motion:

That the Senate- notes that
1.      The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (The Plan) has come under serious scrutiny from both the South Australian Royal Commission and the recent inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.
2.      The Plan has no provisions to address the impacts of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin.
Calls on the government to take the threat of climate change seriously and include the impacts of climate change within The Plan.

December 5, 2018