Leeton Shire Council is urging residents to support a petition led by local member for Murray, Helen Dalton MP, which seeks to protect regional and remote communities from the potential impacts of Commonwealth Water Buybacks.
The petition, which needs 10,000 signatures, calls on the NSW Government to ensure that no water transfers occur without a detailed and transparent report into the expected impact of any Commonwealth buybacks, including the potential economic, social, cultural, and environmental consequences of water resources being diverted away from local communities.
The petition can be signed in the Council main office in Chelmsford Place or at the Library. A copy can be downloaded too and filled in by hand and dropped off at Council.
Leeton Shire Council Mayor, Tony Reneker, is calling buybacks without socio-economic impact assessments “reckless” and is urging every resident of Leeton to sign the petition so that our rural voices get heard.
“This call to action is incredibly important for our future – we need every Leeton Shire resident to please sign the petition,” he said.
“Council, our fellow RAMJO councils and, in fact, communities from across the Basin, are not prepared to be pushed to an economic tipping point. Please support the cause by signing the petition so that our issues can be heard in parliament,” he added.
Helen Dalton has made a very informative video about water buybacks which can be viewed if you want to know more.