Diverting water earmarked for the environment to help drought-hit farmers would "absolutely" breach the federal Water Act, says David Papps, the former head of the Commonwealth Environment Water Office.
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| Not enough: storms and showers near Narrabri last week brought some water to drought-hit parts of NSW and Queensland. |
Mr Papps was responding to Barnaby Joyce, the former Nationals leader and special drought envoy under the Morrison government, who said such diversions were needed to address a "national emergency" as the big dry spreads.
"We have billions of dollars worth of water in the Commonwealth Water Holder's accounts," Mr Joyce told ABC's Radio National on Tuesday. "If we diverted a section of it, we could start growing the fodder [such as lucerne] that is required to keep the stock alive.”
Mr Joyce's comments were rounded on by federal Labor and the Greens, and by former water officials.
Read the story by Peter Hannam from The Sydney Morning Herald - “‘Death certificate': Ex-water chief slams Barnaby Joyce's drought plan.”
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