Both sides pile on the pressure

PLUG the Pipe protest organiser Mike Dalmau has been called a liar by Water Minister Tim Holding following the protest on the Parliament steps last week.
Mr Holding said that country Victorians were being lied to by twice failed Liberal candidate Mr Dalmau and Liberal and National MPs about the $2 billion Food Bowl Modernisation Project.
Mr Holding said it was important that people in regional Victoria and Melbourne understood the benefits of the project so that they could make their own minds up.
“The Brumby Government understands that communities in northern Victoria are under enormous pressure as a result of the devastating combined impacts of drought, climate change and a failing, outdated irrigation systems,” Mr Holding said.
“That is why we have put in place a plan for water security that will protect those communities and drought-proof the state.”
Mr Holding outlined a number of incorrect claims made by the protesters. He questioned that if the proposed pipeline did not exist, as protestors claimed, “then why do they support the $2 billion investment in this irrigation system if the savings aren’t there?”
He slammed claims that Melbourne would be “stealing” water from northern Victoria.
“Melbourne Water users are investing $300 million in the irrigation upgrades and $850 million to fund the Sugarloaf Pipeline,” Mr Holding said.
“From this investment, Melbourne households will receive on average 75 billion litres each year. In contrast, farmers in the region will receive on average 175 billion litres per year from only a $100 million investment.”
Mr Dalmau responded to the allegations made by Mr Holding and Premier John Brumby.
“They can call me all the names under the sun, but when they start to insult country Victorians – I don’t believe they could do such a thing,” Mr Dalmau said.
“And in terms of my political affiliations, I have never hidden them, I have always been open. But, there is a bi-partisan support right through the community against the pipeline no matter what political beliefs people have.”
Spokesperson for Plug the Pipe Eril Rathjen defended Mr Dalmau and Plug the Pipe protesters.
“The fact that the Premier and Minister resort to personal insults is a reflection of their weak position and their inability to defend their policies,” Ms Rathjen said.
“There is no logic, no common sense in moving water from the north of the state during a time of drought and hardship.”
McEwen MP Fran Bailey, whose electorate will be affected by the pipeline, said Mr Brumby was clearly panicked by the unwavering opposition to his plan to supplement Melbourne and Geelong’s water.
“Our local farmers, small business and tourism operators have been relentless in exercising their democratic right to protest against the proposed north-south pipeline, an ill-conceived and badly planned item of state legislation,” Ms Bailey said.
“They are backed up by hydrology, hydrogeology and other water science experts, including those at the CSIRO, in their assessment that this project will not produce the water savings alleged by the State Government.”