That is the question being asked by the Speak Up Campaign, amid increasing concern that city-based politicians lack an understanding of food security and how we need to promote food production, not impede it.
“We have a population that is forecast to reach 40 million in just 20 years at current growth rates,” explained Speak Up deputy chair David Farley.
“There is plenty of discussion around how we are going to house so many people, and other obvious infrastructure requirements.
“But how are we going to securely feed them? How will we provide affordable, locally grown food if we keep strangling farmers with poor water policy?”
Mr Farley said current water policy was the most striking example of a failure by government to understand that the future needs of the nation rely on intelligent decisions today.
Making mention of Water Minister Tanya Plibersek’s insatiable appetite for water buybacks, “because she sees them as a vote winner in important marginal seats”, Mr Farley said there is a huge tranche of evidence to show buybacks are the worst form of water recovery.
They reduce water for food production, increase environmental water in dams which leads to unnecessary flood risk, are devastating for the socio-economic health of regional communities and will lead to excessive volumes of environmental water in storage which cannot effectively be used in a timely manner for food production if required during droughts
“Additionally, instead of protecting our rivers we are wrecking them with over-watering,” Mr Farley said.
“From a ‘what’s best for our nation?’ perspective, water buybacks don’t rate highly.”
So why, he asked, does Ms Plibersek promote them above all other more sensible options?
“It’s because they have a powerful and influential appeal to her inner-city constituents, most of whom never venture west of the Blue Mountains.
“These voters are falsely told the buybacks are ‘saving’ the Murray-Darling Basin and believe the spin.
“The stark reality is that every megalitre of water buyback is hurting a regional community, while at the same time forcing food price inflation on all Australians and reducing our nation’s food security, especially during periods of sustained droughts.
“And it’s costing us billions of dollars, though the government refuses to tell us exactly how much, for this absurd policy.”
Mr Farley said in the lead-up to the federal election, voters need to question leadership and decision-making that is threatening our future.
“We need leaders who are prepared to invest in water storage infrastructure and deliver forward focused policy that allows agriculture to grow with assured and certain policy the food we need for our growing population.
“If we do not change from the current trajectory, we’re not establishing the foundations to securely feed future generations.”
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