Helen Dalton MP – Congratulates Cr. Blumer on New Appointment

  MP Helen Dalton has congratulated Griffith Councillor Shari Blumer for being elected to the critical role of National President of the Murray Darling Association (MDA).              

Cr. Blumer has a deep understanding of the water issues affecting the Murray region - Region 9 - and the Independent Member for Murray looks forward to working with her on the proactive and sustainable management of Basin resources. 

Ms Dalton said: “I will soon be asking the MDA and Griffith City Council to adopt my recently released 7 point plan on Water and the Murray Darling Basin Plan.” 

“Cr Blumer’s appointment is a terrific result for our residents impacted by water issues because she is across the challenges and can help boost our concerns on a national level.” 

“Hopefully this means that Griffith City Council’s impending Water Policy is no longer a myopic Local Government Area-focussed policy.” 

“Water is a national issue and what happens at South Australia’s Fake Lower Lakes for example – lakes that are being artificially kept full of river water taken from the Murray Darling Basin - directly affects us in the Murray electorate.” 

Ms Dalton visited the SA area last year and described the use of river water, whilst sea water flow through is blocked, as a “one of the biggest con jobs pulled on rural farming communities”. 

She said at the time: “Those lakes were a mixture of sea water and river water for tens of thousands of years. We shouldn’t be wasting valuable river water, which should be used for food production, just so that a handful of rich and powerful South Australians who live around the Lakes have a nice view to enjoy.”  

Ms Dalton will endeavour to secure Cr. Blumer’s expertise on other Murray Darling Basin issues such as the inequity of Region 7, the area covering Adelaide City and suburbs that are not in the Murray Darling Basin area and have no place in this association, she said. 

While its primary role is advocating for effective representation of communities at state and federal levels in managing Murray Darling Basin resource, the association also works to influence government policy on behalf of its members and provides information.