Communities on the Darling River are crying out for more meaningful consultation amid a rapid decline in local population and a lack of water security during drought.

Federal Nationals Senator, and Shadow Minister for Water, Emergency Management, and Fisheries and Forestry, Ross Cadell, joined Member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, to meet with locals in both Bourke and Louth late last week, including a visit to the Louth Weir.

“What we heard was that communities don’t want things done to them, but rather want things done for them,” Cadell said.

“The people of Louth feel that they are not being included in planning for changes to the town’s weir infrastructure.

“Beyond that, these communities feel at the mercy of threats by State Government agencies who believe they know best for communities within the basin.

“It appears the Government is putting the environment before people.”

A current proposal, put forward by the NSW State Government, intends to reduce the height of the weir by 10cm with an eye to the construction of a fish bridge.

“In times of drought, the people of Louth rely on this water source to continue doing business.

“By reducing the height of the weir, you’re compromising the water supply of local communities.”

Federal Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey described the lack of consultation as yet another example of how the current State and Federal Labors governments were disconnecting from regional communities and allowing those who are not democratically elected make the decisions.

“The Louth Weir could be raised with little to no effect on the environment, ensuring both water security for local communities, and a healthier environment for fish,” Chaffey said.

“Without a secure water supply, industrial and agricultural productivity has plummeted, along with local population.

“I’ve recently heard that in Bourke alone, the population has dropped by 40% since the turn of the century.”