Media Release

8 July 2015: KAP Federal Leader and Member for Kennedy Bob Katter MP today attended a meeting with his fellow parliamentary crossbenchers and politicians from the two major parties to hear from a crowd of 1500 people about the Murray Darling Basin in Barham.

Mr Katter a staunch and unrelenting champion for water development in North Queensland and across Australia, believes that as a proud Australian it is his duty to stand up for a fair go for farmers in the Murray Darling catchment for the benefit of all farmers who follow their legacy and for the future of irrigation, water development and farming in Australia.

“The greatest achievement of the Australian people, which was the building of the Snowy Mountain Scheme, opened up irrigation all the way up the Murray Darling and through the Basin.

“What has the Government in Australia done with it, what have successive Government’s done with it?

“They have taken 25% of it away from you and attempted to sell it.

“They voted in both houses, by both the major parties, to sell it to the highest foreign seller.

“Now who’s running this country?,” Mr Katter asked.

“The reason I’ve travelled 4000 kms to be here, is because if nobody else care’s about the destruction of the greatest achievement of the Australian people well I tell you, there’s a few of us in North Queensland, and I hope there’s a few of us here today that do,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter pointed out the conflicting scientific opinion on the basin, and the need for commonsense evidence and approach.

“And here’s the science for you. The Two expert fields, CSIRO and the Commissioner, on their figures, there is a 600% difference! If there was a 60% difference I’d be worried.

“I’m just a simple country boy from Cloncurry. And I believe in empirical evidence. So I drove myself down to Murray Bridge, which is at the mouth of the Murray Darling. There is a whole lot of blokes fishing there, and I said, ‘Hey fellas, we’re in a bit of the drought, and this river is bank to bank. This river is bank to bank, what’s going on here? We’re in the middle of a drought, you having a bit of a flash flood?’

“They replied, ‘Nah it’s always like this.’

“So I said “So it’s sea water?” And they said, “No it’s fresh water!”

“So there’s your empirical evidence. There’s your scientific evidence!,” Mr Katter exclaimed.

The forum heard from farmers who expressed their concern at the dying rural communities, the lack of future for the next generation of farmers and livelihoods being taken away.

The meeting called by Senator John Madigan, aimed to hear from the various stakeholders in order for Government to meet its deadline of implementing the $13 billion reform by the 2019.

The Australian Senate voted to establish a select committee to investigate the Plan, its success or otherwise so far and its likely future impacts. The meeting today allowed community members and key stakeholders alike to express their views.

“They’ve taken 25% off you, and now they want to take away 33% off you. What sort of politician votes for taking away 25% of economy of his own land?

“They are a disgrace, they are disgraceful,” Mr Katter said.

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