Party's campaign for floodwaters

A RIGHT-WING Victorian-based independent political party wants to build six dams and a hydro-electric power station to divert Clar-ence River floodwaters.

The Citizens Electoral Council of Australia has developed an online campaign and distributed flyers which call on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to consider the diversion – which it says is costed out at $230 million.

The party claims diverting the Clarence floodwaters could be the best solution to revive the nation's ‘food bowl', rather than the proposed irrigation allocation cuts.

Basing its argument around a proposal developed by Professor Lance Endersbee, the party claims the diversion would see floodwaters ultimately flow into the Darling River, which would also open up areas for irrigation along the Dumaresq, Macintyre and Barwon rivers.

Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood said the scheme, if implemented, would harvest 1000 gigalitres annually of floodwater and would not be detrimental to the river's health, but would mitigate floods.

Mr Isherwood said the scheme was not prohibited by cost, with estimates put forward by the South Australian Government in putting the cost at $230 million.

Sydney University Emeritus Professor and member of the Wentworth Group of concerned scientists Bruce Thom said significant impact studies had to be done before any diversion was considered.

“The Clarence Valley should not be easily treated as a milch cow for its excess or surplus water to be used elsewhere,” he said.

“Water extraction to places outside the basin will come at a cost to both natural and human systems in a catchment which is one of the richest in terms of fishing and agriculture on the east coast.”

For more information on the Cit-izens Electoral Council proposal visit www.cecaust.com.au