By BRAD PERRY

AT a meeting on Monday night, the Lake Bonney Management Committee expressed anger at a Berri Barmera Council motion requesting the Napper’s Bridge earth bank to be removed.

Chairman Mike Fuller stated that if the motion was successful, South Australia could breach water quality agreements with eastern state governments.

Mr Fuller took aim at the Berri Barmera Council for putting forward a formal motion “that council request that the Minister for the River Murray and Water Security (Karlene Maywald) immediately have the temporary earth bank and culverts at Napper’s Bridge removed to allow Lake Bonney to be reconnected to the River Murray”.

He said reconnecting the lake to the river could cause saline water to be washed back into the main stream of the Murray, therefore breaching water quality agreements with the eastern states, who provide the state with funding for water quality (eg salt interception schemes).

““The passing of such a motion, without a thorough study of the implications of such a move succeeding, could cause harm to the Barmera community and embarrassment for the Berri Barmera Council,” he said.

The issue was a hot topic at Monday night’s LBMC meeting and Mr Fuller said the group was bewildered by the council’s actions.

“There was constant concern expressed by the floor of council ignoring decisions made by the committee,” he said.

“I really cannot understand what they were attempting to achieve.”

While agreeing that removing the embankment would be a good option, Mr Fuller said it can only be done under the right circumstances.

“The salinity levels which presently exist in Lake Bonney represent a major threat to irrigators who are trying to earn a living downstream from Chamber’s Creek,” he said.

“If the lake were reconnected and Barmera were to experience a major rain event, which is not out of the question, a large slug of very saline water may be washed back into the main stream of the Murray.

“Yes, I do want the embankment removed but only under the right circumstances when we will not put the livelihoods of irrigators at even greater risk than they already are.”

Mr Fuller said the Berri Barmera Council needs to take a good hard look at its actions.

“The very thought that our elected members of our council could pass a motion that has the potential to harm our fellow South Australians should be of great concern to all

of us,” he said.

“The council’s action is self centred and hypocritical to the extreme.”

Meanwhile, news that irrigators can now apply to carry-over unused water from 2009/10 to 2010/11 has been welcomed, while irrigator allocations remain stranded at 48 per cent.

River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald said applicants must nominate the amount of unused water by June 30.

“Irrigators are encouraged to carefully consider the volume of water that is likely to be unused for 2009/10 because the volume applied for cannot be adjusted after March 19,” she said.