Joyce raises concern over plan
SENATOR Barnaby Joyce has claimed new economic modelling on the Murray-Darling Basin plan shows the government has failed to properly consider the economic and social impacts of its draft basin plan.
He yesterday pointed to modelling by Chris Murphy of Independent Economics, which he claimed shows the draft basin plan could lead to the loss of 2100 jobs and a nine per cent reduction in economic activity in five towns around Griffith in New South Wales alone.
"Chris Murphy is one of Australia's leading economic modellers and his work shows the economic impact of the draft could be up to 10 times worse than what the government has admitted to date," Senator Joyce said.
"The government's economic modelling of the Basin Plan assumes that no irrigator will leave the region after water is bought back from a community, but the reality is that Bilbo Baggins gets his cheque and retires to the Gold Coast."
Senator Joyce said the government couldn't reject the findings of the modelling because it had been partly funded by the government through its Strengthening Basin Communities program.
View the report at www.independenteconomics.com.au.
