A Plea From Drought-Affected Murraylands, SA

Murraylands Regional Tourist Association
is a NonProfit organisation, with members from all parts of the drought affected River region of South Australia. PWF has received an email about funding for the region during this time of ‘extreme circumstances’. This is their position:

“1. At all levels of State and Federal Governments a bi-partisan approach is required to address the extreme crisis circumstances being experienced by Tourism business and communities along the entire length of the River Murray in South Australia.

2. Concentrated solutions need to be found to help overcome the dire straits facing those business along the river that rely on the River Murray to sustain them both in economical and domestic water situations.

3. Economical circumstance funds needs to be applied to ALL along the River. The situation has now gone beyond Irrigators only, it extends to the Murraylands and throughout the Regions of the River Murray.

We are now faced with a situation that is of extreme economical consequences to the Murraylands Region of the River Murray, and ultimately the whole state of South Australia.

4. We call for the same financial compensations and alleviation strategies that have been applied to those who are experiencing the drought in land based situations. ie, non accrual of interest rates for outstanding taxation accounts, emergency dredging funding, and funding/grants for business needing to undergo various adaptions of boarding structures to maintain the viability of their boating activity, as the River level keeps dropping.

5. We call on the Department of Transport and Marine infrastracture to maintain a clear navigable way for commercial vessels. ( Esp. below lock 1 River Murray SA) And for said department to work with the local councils to provide dredging and maintain safety of infrastructure at commercial wharves in the Region. Commercial vessels must be able to continue to ply their trade for the sake of the economy of the Murraylands Region.

6. Clear solutions need to be found so that the lower River Murray (below Lock one) and the lakes area can be sustained in this time of extreme crisis. We highlight our concerns in regard to the disparity of water levels between our Region, below Lock One, and above Lock One. It is a disparity that is affecting the commercial viability of our members. We call for increased flow to lift our level of water. We are at levels never seen before, nor written about in the history of the River in the Murraylands, and lower lakes area.

7 We call for extra promotional tourism funding for our Associations, including the Houseboat Hirers Association, and the Murraylands Regional Tourist Association, as tabled by Senator Simon. Birmingham to the Minister of Tourism.
It is very important that tourism business reliant on the river can operate and sustain their operations for the economical outcome of the various small towns reliant on this trade along the River in the Murraylands.

8 We unanimously declare that our Tourism Members are in a situation of Extreme Circumstances, and the above mentioned issues need to be addressed at all levels in State and Federal politics.”

For more info you can contact Jennifer Whitehorn, Chairperson, Murraylands Regional Tourist Association.