Wagga farmers turned out in large numbers to Wagga Council’s ordinary meeting last night. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Wagga farmers came out in full force to Monday night’s (28 October) ordinary council meeting to voice their concerns about the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Rivers Country Program (RRCP).
The RRCP aims to divert water from dam reserves within the Murray Darling Basin to rivers and lakes. Despite the environmental improvements from the program that the current and former state governments had advertised, many farmers have claimed that the overflows from easements have consistently led to man-made flooding on private property.
With the NSW Government set to reconfigure the RRCP in February 2025, many farmers in the region have felt they have been left in the dark.
Farmers told Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC) that they believe there has been little to no formal consultation with the ministers or government bodies who make the decisions regarding the program.
Following consultation with private landowners in the Local Government Area (LGA) affected by the RRCP, councillor Tim Koschel put forward a notice of motion, asking WWCC to request a workshop from the State Government to explain how the RRCP will affect the region and proper consultation with the required state MPs prior to the February decision.
A full gallery of local farmers, including outspoken former councillor Paul Funnell, warned of dire ramifications if the program is to go ahead without their voices being heard.
“It will destroy a select number of farmers,” Mr Funnell said.
“It is so important that Wagga Wagga City Council understands what’s at stake here. [During the release of water] every single stormwater valve is shut on the Murrumbidgee River; if we have one storm event like what happened in 2012 the place will build up like a fishbowl.
“The mental health situations that farmers are facing because of this is catastrophic. Agriculture is under attack at every level of government every time you turn around.
“You [WWCC] haven’t been consulted either; we found out accidentally. What we are asking is that the local government help us. We don’t even get to put submissions on the final report. We are dead set against compulsory easements.”
Despite broad agreement, the debate continued for over an hour, with Greens councillor Jenny McKinnon pushing back and suggesting the matter should be deferred to a later date.
Cr Koschel and Cr Richard Foley highlighted the timeliness of the matter, believing a workshop and writing to the appropriate ministers needed to be conducted before the Local Government NSW Conference in Tamworth, set down for 17 to 19 November.
WWCC ultimately voted 7-2 in favour of taking up the request to receive an in-person update and workshop on what the RRCP involves and the effects on the Wagga LGA and its residents.
Following the workshop council will write to NSW Minister for Water, Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson, all other members of the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation, any other councils located on the Murrumbidgee River and the Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke MP.
WWCC said it would receive a report on the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Rivers Country Program that included a complete list of where proposed consultation for the Landholder Negotiation Scheme was advertised.
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