Historically, we suffered through blood sweat and tears to learn to grow food, stand up for our rights and to make a real go of life in Australia. Our efforts let us forge a vibrant and diverse democratic nation.

One of our greatest national accomplishments was setting-up irrigation schemes to drought proof our country and provide us with secure drinking water, food, access to fibre for clothing and materials for shelter.

These are basic needs for our survival.

If our forebears were to evaluate the current Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) and its objectives, they would be saddened to see the crippling of major Australian agricultural industries such as dairy, rice, fruit, vegetables and grain.

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It would leave them questioning Australia's future to maintain its own food security and its vibrant, productive inland communities. They would be shocked that people can't access clean drinking water.

Their hard work and our proud heritage has been threatened by current water policies.

What is the public interest of the MDBP? Public interest is the welfare or wellbeing of the general public and society.

Elected governments local, state and federal are constitutionally obliged to act in the public interest when implementing decisions or policies that affect us all.

Examining the recent outcomes of the MDBP including fish kills, drowned forests, job losses in regional areas, loss of family farms to corporations or foreigners and loss of water rights to people with no commitment to food production, we would be excused for thinking that past and present governments have not followed their oath of allegiance to be good government to the people they represent.

This entails carrying out functions fairly, impartially, exposing corrupt conduct or serious maladministration, equity, inclusiveness and accountability. So what about corporate 'under the table' deals, political trading of water, state governments clawing back water allocations and the creation of water scarcity through lack of government investment in water infrastructure?

We Australians need to demand our sovereign right to water and transparency of the MDBP to ensure it is fixed by our governments.

We need to ensure water is not made scarce by political propaganda and that future plans are demonstrably in the public interest.

Then we can all proudly sing "Advance Australian Fair".

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