Community interests in the Lower Darling are being sacrificed for the profits of big corporations.

The Australia Institute have found the $13 billion dollar Murray Darling Basin Plan is facilitating the flow of money to powerful agribusiness at the expense of local communities, native title holders, graziers, downstream water users, small irrigators and the health of the river system.

“Special deals that benefit big agribusiness are made behind closed doors while consultation with those most affected is scant and tokenistic,” says Maryanne Slattery, Senior Water Researcher at The Australia Institute.

“The Webster deal sets a precedent for compensation to be paid to all stakeholders in the Lower Darling: the Barkandji native title holders, graziers, Menindee businesses and property owners, and small irrigators.”

Read our report, Trickle Out Effect, here: http://www.tai.org.au/sites/default/f...

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