Fed: Leaders to try to fix Murray water woes

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Fed: Leaders to try to fix Murray water woes

CANBERRA, April 11 AAP - State and federal leaders will tomorrow try to map out a futurefor the ailing Murray Darling Basin, 100 years after the region first cried out for help.

The ministerial meeting will be held in the Murray River town of Corowa in southernNSW, the site of a 1902 conference which was held after a public plea for action.

A hundred years later, the river's health has deteriorated, with predictions that watercould be undrinkable in just a few years.

The South Australian government wants the amount of irrigation water taken from theriver reduced, with federal compensation for farmers whose supplies are cut.

A 1999 audit showed rising salt levels would poison crops and make water undrinkablewithin 50 years if urgent measures were not taken.

Proposals on the table included calls for a $157 million package of measures for thenext seven years and a bid for cost-sharing and credit arrangements for joint salt interceptionworks.

Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said farmers must not bear the burden of fixing theriver system alone.

"Certainly if there's water that's going to be taken out of the system there has tobe an acceptance by the community that it must meet the commercial costs of that water,"

he told ABC radio.

"We cannot expect the farm sector or the rural country town to bear that cost and tostand alone in meeting the obligations to make the river a more healthy system."

New SA Labor frontbencher John Hill, who has responsibility for the river, said strongfederal leadership was required to help fix the river.

"If we don't do something to fix the issues with water quality, all the research showsthat in 10 or 20 years time then our water will be virtually undrinkable for 80 per centof the time," Mr Hill told ABC radio.

"We need strong commonwealth leadership and I hope the commonwealth's prepared to cometo the party in terms of financial assistance.

"They did in terms of the salinity issue. Water flow is absolutely vital to gettingthe river health back."

Federal opposition environment spokesman Kelvin Thomson said urgent action was required.

"It is absolutely essential that the government gets action out of tomorrow's MurrayDarling Basin Ministerial Council meeting to start restoring the health of the Murray,"

Mr Thomson said.

AAP lm/daw/ph/de

KEYWORD: MURRAY LEAD