Former MP says State Govt neglecting Snowy
Posted
The former Labor Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, has accused the State Government of neglecting the New South Wales Snowy River.
It has been a year since the first term of the Snowy Scientific Committee came to an end.
The Office of Water says the Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, will be in a position to make an announcement soon.
Mr Whan in now a Member of the State Upper House and says the key advisory group should have been reinstated a year ago.
“This is clearly a ministerial-level failure,” he said.
“Minister Hodgkinson doesn’t have much idea about the Snowy River.
“She’s never shown an interest in it.
“I think if you go back, you will find that she, amongst other Nationals, actually opposed the water being returned to the River.”
Greens MP John Kaye says it should have been a simple administrative process to reinstate the group.
The Energy and Resources Department handed the matter to the Primary Industries Minister earlier this year, but the ABC has been told the Finance Minister could now be involved.
Dr Kaye says he is concerned about the level of confusion.
“We’re very concerned that this has just gotten lost in a major administrative bungle within the O’Farrell cabinet,” he said.
“It appears that the responsibility for appointing the committee has moved at least once, but possibly twice between Ministers.”
The Primary Industries and Finance Ministers have been contacted for comment.
For more, go to the South East News Blog.
Topics:environment, water-management, government-and-politics, jindabyne-2627