"Who holds them to account?" is the question on farmer Kel Williams' lips when talking about Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI).
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He recently put in another 'vote of no confidence' for the water organisation which was rejected.
He is now urging other share-holders to vote 'no' to MI's resolutions at the AGM to prove they are concerned with their performance.
"They are out of control and are untouchable, with no-one to answer to. They treat us like dirt. I wonder who is running the organisation - is it the board of directors or the management?" Mr Williams asked.
"If it is the board, they are not doing their job, they are not controlling what the management does. They allow them to tell lies, stand over people, threaten people, and they haven't stopped it.
They need an ombudsman for complaints, because at the moment they are not answerable to any person."
They are out of control and are untouchable, with no-one to answer to. They treat us like dirt. I wonder who is running the organisation - is it the board of directors or the management?
- Kel WIlliams
While a long-running battle for Mr Williams, the most recent instance for him is Scott's Road, where MI removed a bridge without "proper community consultation", he says.
He claimed MI lied when they told The Area News consultation had been taken before the notice of removal, because neither him nor anyone else he has spoken to were called or consulted.
When asked if there was any documentation of the consultation, MI said:
"We had been aware of community members concerns about safety issues surrounding the school bus route on Scott's Road for some time," a spokesman said.
"The Lake View Branch Canal expansion project is a result of customer interest in increasing the capacity of this system.
"The location of the new bridge was identified as the safest option... following consultation with local landholders and the bus company."
Mr Williams also claims they have been "putting pressure" on irrigators on the Lake Wyangan channel to buy delivery entitlements (DEs).
"They decided at the end of last year to try to get more water down to the big developers down the end. They put pressure on the small land holders to buy DEs so they can be guaranteed of their flow when there is a shortage in the channel," Mr Williams claimed.
The Lake View Branch Canal expansion project is a result of customer interest in increasing the capacity of this system. The location of the new bridge was identified as the safest option... following consultation with local landholders and the bus company.
- Murrumbidgee Irrigation
"They have threatened, stood over them, and said you gonna have a shortage, you have to buy DEs or we won't be able to supply water to you.
"The majority of us have shaken our heads. We shouldn't have a shortage, because we've had two upgrades over the years."
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MI however have denied asking anyone to buy DEs, however said they did speak to customers in these areas "to understand their business needs and the value to them of acquiring additional flow rate."
MI said their engagement team were "always keen" to hear from customers about concerns, yet gave no indication of who to go to if the customer was unsatisfied with the response.
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