Conservationists say a major review of the laws governing the Murray Darling Basin has identified urgently needed reforms, and are now calling on politicians from all sides to act.
The Murray Darling Conservation Alliance has welcomed the interim report of the independent review of the Water Act 2007, saying it identifies reforms needed to protect the Basin’s rivers, secure drinking water, and support the communities and farming that depend on a healthy river system.
“The Basin is desperately in need of reform to ensure that water is managed responsibly, in the national interest,” said Murray Darling Conservation Alliance Campaign Director Chris Gambian.
The review was commissioned by the Commonwealth Government. Its interim report was released for public consultation on Thursday, 5 November, ahead of the final report to be tabled in February.
It is testing whether the Act has the right legislation and policy levers for current and future water challenges in the Basin, which covers four states and the ACT, and more than a million square kilometres of Australia’s inland.
“This report has highlighted what Basin communities, farmers, businesses and experts have been saying for a long time: we need to work together to get the balance right,” Mr Gambian said.
The Alliance said the report recognised critical challenges facing the Basin, including the growing impact of climate change, the need for reliable access to clean drinking water, and stronger accountability for water users and state governments.
“We can’t pretend the survival of the Basin doesn’t matter,” Mr Gambian said.
“1 in 10 Australians live and work in the Basin, and we need laws, policies and approaches that bring people together to find solutions that work for everyone, not just ways to squeeze out every last dollar for big corporations and investors.”
The Alliance said water management policies must account for the impacts climate change is already having on nature, communities, farmers, and businesses, as well as the threats ahead.
It welcomed the report’s recognition that reliable access to clean water for human consumption is essential, particularly during drought, and that healthy rivers and wetlands are crucial to maintaining water quality.
The Alliance said the report also rightly acknowledged the importance of water security for First Nations communities, and proposed better processes to give them a genuine say in how Basin water is managed.
It supported stronger accountability measures for water users and state governments, along with making good-quality information readily available to assess whether the system is working as it should.
“We need healthy communities and farming, supported by healthy rivers and wetlands, to safeguard the future of the Basin,” Mr Gambian said.
“And the future of the Basin is vitally important to Australia’s future.”
“We call on politicians – State and Federal, from all sides – to step and lead and make the changes that are urgently needed.”
“Stunts and rhetoric are not enough – we need action.”
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