What is most unfortunate is that people may read his ill-informed comments and form views based around them.

Mr de Pieri was particularly insensitive with his comments about ‘redneck irrigators’, and showed a distinct lack of understanding of important issues with his criticism of attempts to develop water policy that provides a balance between using this precious resource for various needs, including environmental and productive.

If Mr de Pieri had a restaurant in the NSW Murray Valley, recognised as a vital part of Australia’s food bowl, he would most likely find a significant decline in business following the decrease in food production (and subsequently money into the local economy) brought about by a flawed Murray-Darling Basin Plan which does not deliver the social needs of rural communities.

He may then be a little more sympathetic towards the plight of thousands of people who no longer have a job thanks to this flawed plan, or who are unable to sell their house due to deflated prices in declining local economies.

The ‘redneck irrigators’ to whom he refers are custodians of their land who are not only the backbone of these economies, but also feed millions of people every day in Australia and throughout the world.

They understand the importance of caring for their environment, because if they don’t there is no future on their land. It is unfortunate that Mr de Pieri, and in fact many other so-called environmentalists (including many in the bureaucracy) are unable or unwilling to improve their education of food production and the manner in which it can co-exist with our environment … and has been doing for many, many years.

However, I can appreciate that it is easy to throw stones from the picturesque banks of the Murray River in Mildura, where the river widens and has gathered large volumes of water from the Murrumbidgee, Edward and other rivers, creeks and streams along the way.

At Mildura you don’t notice the bank slumping, bank erosion and trees falling into the river from unrelenting volumes being forced down a system that evolved through droughts and flooding rains.

Nor do you see the damage to public and private land from volumes of water that the system did not historically carry – these are the so-called environmental flows that are causing unintended consequences that too many people, including the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, are refusing to acknowledge.

If Mr de Pieri and others like him would care to visit the Murray Valley region, rather than simply suggesting others should do this, he would find National Parks teeming with flora and fauna, in the same region that we have food and fibre producers who are proud to use world’s best practice to put food on tables both in Australia and those of international countries. Many of the people being fed cannot afford to eat at an expensive restaurant – they are simply happy to get a serving a day of Australian rice.

Importantly, this rice is grown using 50 percent less water than the global average by efficient farming practices. At the same time these rice crops provide a breeding ground for various wildlife, reptiles and birdlife, including the endangered Australasian bittern.

With greater understanding of the entire water policy issue … We are fortunate to live in a democratic country where people have the opportunity to express their opinions.

However, when we have poorly developed and ill-conceived water policy based more heavily on ideologies than realities, it would be good to see people developing a greater understanding of the entire issue before making public comment that exacerbates an already troubled situation.

Michael Hawkins, Speak Up For Water Campaign.