The Coalition’s leaked plan to build 100 dams across Australia is poorly thought through and environmentally reckless, the Australian Greens say.
“While the Greens are releasing considered, costed policies the Coalition are leaking crazy thought bubbles with $30b price tags that will devastate the environment,” the Greens water spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“This is another crazy idea, courtesy of Barnaby Joyce, who is more interested in being anti-environmental than nation-building.
“This is a pie in the sky plan based on 19th century thinking and the Coalition know they have no way to fund it.
“The Greens plan for a smarter approach to storm water collection and more efficient on-farm irrigation would help to secure Australia’s water future while Tony Abbott’s ill-conceived plans will only deliver uncertainty.
"Damming rivers can put fisheries at risk while reducing water quality and damaging the productivity of farmlands and forests.
“As well as the detrimental downstream effects, rotting vegetation trapped upstream of dams contributes to global warming by releasing greenhouse gases.
“The Greens support flood mitigation, but the Coalition’s approach of damming rivers all over the country is not sustainable.
"Flood mitigation is essential but large scale dams have the potential to increase damage during exceptionally large floods when severe weather events cause a sudden release of water.”
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