What do you think of the Murray-Darling plan?

[Caitlin]

Although it seems like a distant place to many city-folk, every day Australians rely heavily on the resources from the Murray-Darling Basin.

The recent release of the new Murray Darling Basin Authority's draft plan has been very contentious: conservationists on one side, and irrigators on the other, as i've written here: http://www.gmagazine.com.au/blog/2878/our-thirsty-basin.

Do you agree with me that we need to find a middle-ground and agree to a consensus?

Or perhaps you are similar to many of my friends, who believe when it comes to the environment, there are no concessions?

[Gordon in Loomberah]

We need a balanced approach for sure... and the only equitable balance after well over 100 years of environmental abuse would surely be 100+ years of putting the environment ahead of profits.
It's interesting to see the farmers and fishing communities who are suffering from this abuse at the SA end of the Murray-Darling River system are standing with the environmental groups, as their livlihoods are under threat due to the long running disaster upstream.
Whilst it's great to see some farmers actively revegetating and looking after their land, it's very disheartening to see many are still clear-felling trees and wiping out understory plants, leaving the land susceptible to erosion and salinity. I see the results of this close to home, with cattle, horses and sheep desperately crowding under roadside trees just outside their fences, as their only escape from baking in the summer sun, or sheltering from a storm downpour in their denuded paddocks.

[bungto]

It seem to be very interested