A PETITION with more than 13,000 signatures calling for a moratorium on the River Murray to Broken Hill, NSW, pipeline will be presented in NSW Parliament after Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not meet with the delegation that travelled to Sydney to present it.
Katharine McBride, Tolarno Station, Menindee, NSW, who was part of the group of four people, said the petition had instead been given to NSW Labor and the Greens to present in Parliament.
She said the petition reflected anxiety from local residents about building a $500 million pipeline with little community consultation and concerns lingering about potential corruption after the Four Corners investigation in alleged water theft.
“We want to clear the air with all allegations,” she said.
“As a community we really need to understand what this will mean for the Darling River and the Menindee community.”
Ms McBride said if a moratorium is not put in place within the next week, there would be a community blockade of the pipeline construction to be held next Thursday, February 15.
A spokesperson from the office of Regional Water Minister Niall Blair has said “the construction needs to take place to ensure Broken Hill has a safe and reliable water supply, the same as other cities in NSW”.
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
