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In a move that left the East Kimberley dumbfounded last week, the State Government effectively dumped Ord State II.
Treasurer Eric Ripper announced that in view of the Federal Government's interest in exploring the north as a possible food bowl for Australia, his government would increase the development from 18,000 hectares to 30,000 hectares.
How he would do this without further water allocations, planning, environmental impact statements and more native title, he didn't say.
The move was a cynical exercise in spin doctoring - the State Government moving away from any commitment to the project that it spent so much time talking up as it rolled over and gave numerous concessions to the Miriuwung Gajerrong claimants with a big show of what it was doing for them.
By abandoning Stage II, it will effectively cost them many of the promised benefits of the development.
However, there is some light possible at the end of the tunnel.
In a conversation with Federal Member Barry Haase on Friday, the Kimberley Echo learnt that there is still plenty of interest from the Federal Government.
The Federal Government's Northern Development Task Force meets in a few weeks time and the Ord will be at the top of its agenda - little wonder, the East Kimberley is the only place with a dam in place and ready to go with further horticulture.
However, Mr Haase warns that to get Federal Government backing the future projects will have to be far more water efficient, favouring drip irrigation and doing away with flood irrigation.
Mr Haase would like to see Stage II deliver an inspiration for the next generation of Murray/Darling farmers to take up land in the Ord Valley.
He said that at present the effectiveness per unit of water in the Ord scheme was only one thirtieth of that of irrigated farms in the mid west.
Mr Haase hinted that there was a possibility of the Ord Stage II development becoming a 'big ticket item' in the coming Federal election.
Shadow Agriculture Minister Gary Snook said Treasurer and Development Minister Eric Ripper had once again proved Labor had no interest in rural affairs.
"The Treasurer wants to delay expressions of interest in developing Stage II, which puts businesses and livelihoods at immediate risk."
"This Government's incompetence and incapacity to partially fund Ord Stage II makes WA a laughing stock in the eyes of the commercial and business sector," Mr Snook said.
"Mr Ripper and Agriculture Minister Kim Chance should not try to shift blame to the Federal Government for any responsibility for reasons of further delay.
Shadow North West Minister Ken Baston said: "Companies that invested time and resources in putting together their proposals to government have been told by the Treasurer to go away and come back another day.
"With his announcement that the selection process is back in limbo, the Treasurer has promoted a climate change of uncertainty about Ord Stage II," he said.
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