On ABC Broken Hill this morning, @melindapaveyMP said at least 650GL is on its way to the Menindee Lakes. Enough to trigger the 480-640 rule, meaning the management of the Menindee Lakes will be returned to the Commonwealth.

#MurrayDarling #LakeMenindee @SarahJMcConnell

On this @melindapaveyMP said “we’ve been managing it and keeping that water back as much as we can” and later confessed “there was no way of moving that water around to avoid this happening”

An admission that confirms community suspicions that NSW were trying to divert the flood waters to keep the #LakeMenindee dry. On this @MelindaPaveyMP said “even the Commonwealth were originally keen for us to keep control.”

Now why would that be? @keithjpitt @rwynnemp
#Auspol

Intentionally keeping the Menindee Lakes in NSW control not only means the big lakes must stay dry, but also effects water allocations in VIC and Southern Riverina and therefore flows down the Murray River.

Why would the Commonwealth or Vic want NSW to have control?

Luckily, the flows going down the Barwon-Darling/Baaka are large enough that they can’t circumvent the larger lakes at Menindee. Great news for locals and everyone that wants to see water in Lake Menindee.

On flows coming down tributaries @MelindaPavey made the dubious claim that only “14% of water actually comes from those Northern Rivers into the Darling” and later asked “that people read the data, read the science.”

So we did.

@CSIRO found it was more like 99%

We can agree on one thing, @MelindaPaveyMP. Let's celebrate the return of water. Let's celebrate this time. But let's also legislate.

That is, legislate floodplain harvesting at 1994 levels of take so that this special lake can thrive once again