[Peter Walsh] Heritage listing for Kow Swamp a pointless travesty says Walsh

The Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has condemned ongoing plans to add Kow Swamp to the National Heritage Listing.

Mr Walsh says this "unchecked, headlong charge" down a path of drastically restricting public access to, and usage of, significant resources such as Kow Swamp is being done "at our peril".

He says to all intents and purposes boating and fishing has been wiped from the board and now the Allan Labor government want to do even more damage.

"Apart from anything else, Kow Swamp is currently an irrigation storage zone and when managed correctly is also crucial in flood mitigation in the region," Mr Walsh says.

"For all the people of the region, indeed of the state, to lose their say over how Kow Swamp and its system works is a major and potentially irretrievable step backwards," he says.

"Kow Swamp has worked effectively and efficiently for countless generations, there is no reason to change anything - except to reopen it to recreational use as well.

"None of its uses, past and present, are having, or have had, any sort of negative effect on the swamp and the people who have, do, or want to use it."

Mr Walsh says the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's First Nations Heritage Section is working to progress the assessment of Kow Swamp for the listing.

He says part of the assessment process is to consult people with rights and interests, including those who neighbour the proposed nominated boundary.

"This includes two upcoming drop-in sessions - set for Wednesday October 22 in the Gunbower Workshop Cafe at 10am and Echuca Library at 3pm - and I urge anyone able to attend to be there and register their opposition to the proposed changes," Mr Walsh says.