June 18, 2008
Radio Australia
A leaked scientific report on Australia's most important agricultural region, the Murray Darling Basin, warns parts of the river system will be beyond the point of recovery unless they get water by October.
Photo: Years of drought could have permanent ecological implications for Australia's food supply. (ABC)
The Basin produces one third of Australia's food supply and also adds to the country's export earnings.
The scientific panel presented the report to the Murray Darling ministerial council in May.
It warns of vegetation loss, dry wetlands and the unique ecology of the lower lakes, the Coorong and the Murray mouth being lost, unless flows are returned by October.
But the federal and state water ministers won't discuss the options until a meeting in November.
David Paton from the University of Adelaide says that's too late.
"There's been 10 years at least where people have said you have got to restore the environmental flows to the system if you want to keep the natural assets," he said.
The scientific report argues, some wetlands will be lost without urgent action, and the loss of some native fish species may be permanent.
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