Upper Goulburn farmer and environmentalist Jan Beer says Communities from across northern Victoria and southern New South Wales will converge on Tocumwal for what is expected to be the region’s biggest ever protest rally.

Mrs Beer contributes a letter in this week’s issue of The Local Paper:

Community and farming groups have combined to organise the rally as they continue to protest against a failing Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The ‘Fix The Basin Plan’ community rally will be held at Tocumwal on the Murray River foreshore on Thursday, September 5 at 11am.

Politicians are not listening to the devastating negative impacts that the Basin Plan is having on the social, economic and environmental fabric of our communities, despite promises they would all be protected.

If we continue along the same path this devastation will only get worse, so we need to fix it now.

People intend to come together in droves at Tocumwal to deliver the message loud and clear that we want action. We were promised a plan that would protect our communities, our farms, our children and our future.
We were also promised a plan that would protect our environment.
It’s failing on every single count. We have a federal Water Minister David Littleproud, who says of the Basin Plan “it is not perfect, but it’s the best we have got,” it’s the best we can have.
That is rubbish. We are tired of government ignoring the real issues.
We can have an effective, workable plan that looks after the environment as well as our communities; but we can’t have it until Mr Littleproud admits there have been massive mistakes, and commits to fixing them.
Enough is enough. Basin communities are no longer prepared to be the sacrificial lambs while our federal Water Minister plays politics. We do not have to accept second best, despite what he keeps telling us.
We urge people from the Upper Goulburn to make a big effort to attend the rally.
Your support will show that we want a Basin Plan that is based on evidence and facts, protects our river systems, environment and the communities, some of whom are struggling with continuing zero allocation, which would not be necessary if we had effective water policy and management.
We must send a clear message to Water Minister Littleproud and the Federal Government that the only option is to pause the plan and fix it.