Media Release from Bill Sykes MP






Mond Sunday, 12 November 2006 SYKES: LABOR WATER PLEDGE WORTHLESS The pledge signed by the ALP Candidate for Benalla to not privatise water is worthless according to Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes. Dr Sykes said, “The pledge by Mr Mitchell is not worth the paper it is written on”. Two Labor Ministers for Water gave written pledges to irrigators dependent on Lake Mokoan to retain current security of supply at a reasonable cost. On 4 November 2002, Sherryl Garbutt, then the Minister responsible for Water, stated in a letter to Paul Weller, then VFF President: “…..Your Federation has sought assurance that there will be no reduction in the security of water supply and I am happy to repeat that assurance. ……The Government will not support any proposal that would impose a level of charges above that which would apply otherwise, and which was unacceptable to the group of irrigator customers.” On 18 March 2003, John Thwaites, then Minister for Water, stated in a letter to Mr Weller, then VFF President: “……..irrespective of the outcome of the study (into decommissioning Lake Mokoan) there will be no reduction in the security of supply of water entitlements supplied from the Broken River System.” Two weeks ago irrigators were told that those pledges “were made six years ago and are no longer relevant”. Dr Sykes continued, “Only a few months ago the Bracks Labor Government wholeheartedly supported the sale of the Snowy Hydro – so that they could get their greedy hands on $600m for pre election pork barrelling. “The Nationals were the only Victorian Party to oppose the privatisation of the Snowy and our policy remains firmly – no privatisation of water. Dr Sykes concluded, “If the Labor Government was genuine about effective water management it would stop decommissioning Lake Mokoan, listen to locals and implement a ‘win win’ strategy based on the highly regarded Barren Box Swamp Project in which the area is partitioned into part water storage and part wetlands.” Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989