The latest modelling from the MDBA is a political con job that has no basis in reality and will be used as a pawn in a political game to appease the South Australian Government.
The CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council, Tom Chesson said the modelling released today is a political fix for a political problem and will not deliver a balanced basin plan.
“The assumptions used are similar to improving the on time running of trains by simply changing the definition of a train being ‘on – time’ from leaving three minutes to fifteen minutes either side of its’ scheduled departure.
Mr Chesson said he wasn’t surprised the MDBA hadn’t issued a media release in relation to the modelling and had simply stuck the report up on its website.
“MDBA is quite clearly embarrassed to have undertaken modelling using assumptions which it says it doesn’t even know if they exist in the real world.
The MDBA states in the report;
- ‘Undertaking detailed assessments and analysis to identify whether any of the constraints tested in this study could actually be relaxed was not within the scope of this report.’
Mr Chesson said the situation was farcical.
“The impact of taking another four hundred gigalitres from communities would be devastating. To put it in perspective, if it was to come from South Australian it would wipe out the entire SA irrigation industry.
“Back in the real the world, using real water, the Government body tasked with delivering the environmental water already recovered could only deliver 662 GL, about half of the 1300 GL water it had available to use for environmental purposes last year.
“This just goes to show that even the worlds’ best computer models can’t physically deliver water.
Mr Chesson said today’s modelling is a political document and would not help deliver a balanced healthy working river system.
Media Contact: Tom Chesson 0418 415597