The Murray Valley Community Action Group (MVCAG) has estimated the cost of taking 1,500 gigalitres, or 15% of farmers water allocations in the Murray Darling Basin, at over $5 billion.The proposal to remove water allocations is contained in The Living Murray report, produced by the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council.The MVCAG Chairman, Lester Wheatley, argues that “Like every other Australian, we want a…

A survey of farmers in Australia’s largest sugar cane growing area, the Burdekin district west of Townsville, has found farmers totally opposed to proposed industry deregulation, strongly in favour of a pool price for cane, and concerned that they are not being adequately represented to government.The survey was conducted by the Sugar Industry Reform Group. Responses were restricted to one per farm, and…

In a radio interview with ABC Radio aired on Wednesday, May 21, former Labor frontbencher Lorraine Bird claimed that in 1997 she warned Peter Beattie, then Opposition Leader, that someone within the ALP caucus was a child abuser who would be charged with paedophilia.Mrs Bird then said that after she gave that information, Peter Beattie put his head back, scoffed and roared with…