That is the demand of Independent Member for Murray Helen Dalton, who said the Federal Government's latest Water National Agreement is “grossly unfair”.
"My message to the New South Wales Government is clear - do not sign this agreement.
“It is grossly unfair. It will destroy parts of the state, and those rural areas will never recover if this agreement is allowed to occur.”
Ms Dalton says the latest National Water Agreement fails to consider the need for water to be used for farming and irrigation, and instead focuses primarily on environmental and first nation-related water-issues.
"This agreement puts woke politics ahead of logic and fairness.
“Where does the Commonwealth Government think Australia's food comes from?
“This new proposed National Water Agreement fails to treat food security as a critically important national issue.
“The New South Wales Government must not agree to the National Water Agreement."
Ms Dalton also questioned whether the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water could be trusted to create a national water agreement, given that the department was setting rules for the water market at the same time as buying water from that same market.
“How can we trust a department to make the rules for a water market when it's also buying a heap of water from that market?
“The department has an extraordinary conflict of interest here and it's about time people started calling them out on this conflict.”
Ms Dalton urged Premier Chris Minns to act in the interest of NSW by rejecting the National Water Agreement.
"I honestly believe Chris knows what's at stake here.
“He needs to put the pen away and tell the Commonwealth to come back with a better proposed agreement that won't destroy farming in this country.”
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