Brendan Nelson criticised for denying climate change

September 03, 2008 : BRENDAN Nelson was yesterday accused of being "blissfully immune" to the effects of climate change after he said the crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin was not linked to global warming.

The Opposition Leader told the ABC on Monday night: "What's happening at the moment in the Murray-Darling Basin is a consequence of two things: mismanagement of the entire system for almost 100 years and also the worst drought in 100 years. And it is quite wrong for people to suggest that what we're seeing at the moment is a consequence of climate change."

His remarks came just hours before a report released by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission said conditions in the river system were the worst in history, with no relief in sight.

MDBC chief executive Wendy Craik said the research by the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO had linked the reduction in autumn rainfall across the Murray-Darling Basin to global warming.

In parliament yesterday, Kevin Rudd attacked Dr Nelson, accusing him of ignoring scientific facts.

"You need to get with the science on this," the Prime Minister said. "Look at the technical report put together by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology."

Agriculture Minister Tony Burke said that although farmers recognised the impacts of climate change, Dr Nelson had presented a new argument, "which was to say, 'well, OK, the climate is changing but the weather remains unaffected"'.

"These things are happening globally but somehow Australia remains blissfully immune," Mr Burke said.

Dr Craik acknowledged that mismanagement -- particularly the over-allocation of water -- had put stresses on the river system.

But she said that even without over-allocation, "there would still be a water shortage, and our modelling would suggest it is very likely the river would have stopped flowing during this period".

"You may have had a bit more water, but you may not, too, because the water that was there would have evaporated (because of rising temperatures)," Dr Craik said.

She said recent flows into the river system had been the lowest on record. "We have established new record lows for almost any period you care to name between one month and 10 years. Given the fact this has been going on for some time now and there is really no relief in sight, I think

we can say the drought is continuing to worsen."

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the period from September 2001 to last month was the second-driest on record.

National Water Commission chairman Ken Matthews said this week there were no national guidelines for dealing with over-allocation.

"Under current conditions, many significant water-dependent ecosystems are under threat," he said.