Greens irrigation policy is dishonest.

“The Green party is confused on the true cost of water,” says ACT Rural Affairs spokesman Don Nicolson.

“The only cost water has is the opportunity cost to a person who is deprived of the water by your using it.

If you use the water for irrigation and someone wants to use it for an alternative purpose then whoever is prepared to make the best offer to use the water establishes the true price of the water.

ACT believes the best way to establish the true value of water is by the use of tradable water permits.

"This would allow the discovery of the true value of the water and establish a stream of revenue to ensure water is not wasted and the true costs are known.

To just charge irrigators for revenue to mitigate any side effects means it is a tax on water and not a proper charge for its use according to its true value.

The Greens also seem to have overlooked the fact that not all irrigation water is from rivers. If a farmer dams his water or gets it from a bore there is no impact on rivers.

ACT thinks the Greens policy is misguided and a better policy for irrigation use is a market in tradable rights."

ends

© Scoop Media