Fed: Victoria will sign up to water plan, Cobb says

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2007
Fed: Victoria will sign up to water plan, Cobb says

CANBERRA, April 20 AAP - Hold-out state Victoria would eventually join the national
water initiative, a federal assistant minister said today.

The Victorian government has refused to follow three other states in agreeing to cede
power over the Murray-Darling Basin to the commonwealth in exchange for billions of dollars
in funding.

John Cobb, federal assistant minister for water resources, said he believed Victoria's
objections to the $10 billion proposal would be resolved.

"I think that Victoria will come on board," Mr Cobb told reporters.

"They've got concerns - I have a feeling that they're going to be addressed.

"I'm quite confident that Victoria will be part of the plan."

Federal Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said the initiative could go
ahead with only NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

Mr Cobb said the threat of missing out on the funds would persuade Victoria to sign.

"I'm quite sure that they don't want to see three states get $10 billion instead of
four," he said.

"If we did go ahead with three states, then Victoria would look a little silly, wouldn't it?

"If it happened that way then Victorian farmers would be I think rather chagrined to
find that they'd missed out."

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday said there would be no water allocated to irrigators
in the basin from July unless heavy rains fell by next month.

Mr Cobb today clarified the measure would only apply to the populated southern part of the basin.

"Most of those rivers on the north will have nil allocation as well but that's yet
to be announced by the relevant states."

He rejected Labor criticism that the water crisis was the result of inadequate planning.

"It's not because of bad government that we have no water - it's because there's no
rain," he said.

Mr Cobb also reminded graziers that the expected ban would not apply to drinking water for stock.

"The details of the plan, which have now been released, make it clear that stock and
domestic supplies - which include water for grazing stock - have the highest priority."

AAP pw/mfh/it/bwl

KEYWORD: WATER COBB

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