From the Australian Conservation Foundation

Reaction against the ABC’s Four Corners revelation0over what looks like the most outrageous river water theft in Australia’s history has been swift.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has become involved and called on people to sign a petition to put a stop to it.

This is what the pro-environment organisation had to say.

If allegations raised are accurate, several rogue irrigators in NSW are stealing billions of litres of water from the Murray-Darling Basin.

And despite clear evidence of illegal activity, people at the highest levels of the NSW government appear to have done nothing to stop them.

Will you send a quick email to demand an immediate and thorough Senate Inquiry into this greed, mismanagement and plunder?

We’ve drafted a sample email. Make it more powerful by adding a few sentences about why you care!

The evidence ACF, the Environment Defenders Office and 4 Corners have unearthed over the past year is alarming. Illegal pumps so powerful, they make the river flow upstream. Massive hidden dams. Top government officials apparently shutting down active investigations, leaking confidential documents and helping irrigators find loopholes to abuse the rules. And more.

Meanwhile, the river’s fragile ecosystem and communities downstream are desperate for a proper drink.

Winding across five states, the Murray-Darling Basin nourishes ancient river red gums. Its creeks and wetlands are nurseries for fish, frogs and turtles. They’re the last refuge for many threatened species and a place for birds migrating from as far away as the Arctic to rest.

And they sustain 20,000 farms, towns, cities and millions of people.

As last night’s report shows, while this handful of giant rogue irrigators appear to get richer and richer stealing river water, towns like Broken Hill have nearly run dry.

There must be an independent investigation and consequences.