mmg.com.au

Local opportunity to provide informed feedback on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has never been stronger with the creation of a community submission centre in Deniliquin.

Located in the former Island Sanctuary chapel on the junction of Cressy and End Sts, it was officially opened by the Murray Group of Concerned Communities (MGCC) yesterday.

The submission centre will be open three days a week, from 10am to 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

It will be manned by volunteers with the support of MGCC members.

MGCC chair Bruce Simpson said the centre was a one-stop shop for people wanting information on how they can make a submission on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

‘‘The consultation phase is the last chance for the community to have input into the basin planning process,’’ he said.

‘‘It is vital that we all get involved. We all need to do our bit, and that means everyone should send in a unique submission to show the MDBA that this plan will affect everyone.

‘‘After this, the state and federal government will have to judge whether the final basin plan presented to them by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is justified, deliverable and balanced,’’ Mr Simpson said.

The Community Submission Centre, officially opened by Mr Simpson and Deniliquin Deputy Mayor Sue Taylor, was opened in Deniliquin to provide a centralised venue for everyone in the region to access relevant information regarding the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

‘‘The centre is about empowering people to make their own submissions to the MDBA,’’ Mr Simpson said.

‘‘We (the MGCC) want to be able to answer questions and show people how to access the information they need to prepare an informed submission.’’

Mr Simpson said the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s proposal to redirect 2750 gigalitres of productive water to environmental needs would ‘‘cripple our community’’.

‘‘When you think around 90 per cent of businesses in the region are directly reliant on irrigated agriculture, the flow-on impacts of a significant drop in the rural economy, due to reduced water, will be pronounced,’’ Mr Simpson said.

‘‘I believe the only way we can avoid this is by encouraging a large community response to influence the MDBA’s final plan and have some balance returned to the water reform debate.’’

Mr Simpson said he was hoping the new centre would inspire people to send submissions to the MDBA.

‘‘It can be a daunting task for some people, but hopefully with support, they will be motivated to put pen to paper.’’

The centre will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm for the remainder of the 20-week consultation period, which ends on Monday, April 16.