South Australian Senators hostile towards irrigation and agriculture industries

Most of the irrigation and agriculture representatives appearing before the Senate inquiry into the Federal Government’s Restoring Our Rivers Bill 2023 were met with hostility from the inquiry’s South Australian Senators.

The Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia’s (RGA) Water Policy Manager Linda Christesen accompanied representatives from the National Farmers’ Federation on a panel that appeared before the Senate inquiry on day one.

The RGA President Peter Herrmann was appalled by the apparent animosity some Senators had for members from the irrigation and agriculture industries.

“It was really disappointing to see how some Senators acted towards panel members from our industry. They were rude, close-minded and kept interrupting the panel. This shows the lack of respect they have towards them and our industry.

“I was also disappointed by the lack of appropriate time-keeping by the South Australian, Labor Chair. Groups representing her state and her environmental views were repeatedly given up to twice their allotted time to give evidence. Time was then taken from irrigation and agriculture in an apparent attempt to ‘keep to schedule’.”

“It is no surprise that the South Australian Senators were not aligned with our industry’s point of view, but we expected them to respect it and to listen openly. 

“I was astonished to hear them question whether job figures and impacts on communities were even real. To accuse presenters of making up facts already established through government and independent reports just to push their agenda is beyond disappointing.

“The water buybacks and omission of socio-economic protections in the proposed Bill will have an irrevocable impact on not only the agriculture industry but countless rural communities. We need the Senators to understand the significance of that,” said Mr Herrmann.

The Senate Committee will hand down the findings of its inquiry on 8 November before the Bill goes to the Senate for a vote.

For media enquiries contact:

Pip Connolly | Communications Manager
0488 071 165 pconnolly@rga.org.au