The River Murray is South Australia’s single most important natural asset. Its health and survival are pivotal to the wellbeing and economic prosperity of the whole state.

Management of the river has been a contentious issue since Federation at which time the river states squabbled and fought over rights to its waters. The extreme drought of the past six years and talk of climate change has highlighted just how serious the matter has become.

Decades of mismanagement and over-allocation, compounded by the current drought, has reduced the once mighty flow of the Murray to a trickle. South Australia has been the first to suffer the social and economic consequences of a dying Murray.

This is already apparent as the iconic and world-famous Lower Lakes and Coorong are threatened with extinction and much of the industry around the lakes’ perimeter has already been lost. Additionally, many South Australian irrigators are struggling to survive on just over half of their water allocations while in some cases upstream users are able to use their entire allocation.

Despite incessant spin from the Rann Labor Government the fact is that they have allowed their interstate comrades to dominate negotiations and this has ensured South Australia remains entirely dependant upon the mercy of the upstream states.

The State Liberals, on the other hand, are committed to increasing South Australia’s voice in the national water debate, restoring the Murray system to health, easing the burden on irrigators and minimising the demands of metropolitan users on the river.