Murray-Darling Basin Commission
Encyclopedia
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is the principal government agency in charge of managing the Murray-Darling Basin
in an integrated and sustainable
manner. The Authority (MDBA) is the statutory agency that manages, in conjunction with the Basin states, the Murray–Darling Basin’s water resources in the national interest. The Authority reports to the Australian Government Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
The Authority was established under the Water Act (2007) which was introduced under the Howard Government
as part of the National Water Plan for Water Security. The Water Act (2007) was a response to the drought
and the potential effects of climate change in Australia
. The law aimed to fulfill Australia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The Chief Executive of the Authority is Dr Rhondda Dickson who replaced Rob Freeman (resigned 1 June 2011). The Chairman of the Authority is Craig Knowles
. Knowles was appointed in January 2011 after the December 2010 resignation of Mike Taylor. Taylor resigned as he believed that the overriding principle should be the environmental outcome, which was in conflict with the Gillard Government and following a period of sustained criticism of the Authority and the implementation of the proposed draft basin plan.
Whilst the Authority is a Commonwealth Government agency, an inter-governmental Murray‑Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MDBMC) acts in an advisory role in the preparation of the Basin Plan by the Authority. This Council comprises the Commonwealth Minister with responsibility for Water, who also chairs the council, and one minister from each of the basin states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia) and the Australian Capital Territory. The MDBMC introduced the Murray-Darling Cap
in response to the 1995 report titled "An Audit of Water Use in the Murray-Darling Basin".
With the creation of the Authority in 2008, for the first time, a single inter-governmental body assumed responsibility for planning
the integrated management
of water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin. In addition to the Commission’s former functions, the Authority’s role includes:
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is an integral element of the Commonwealth Government's program Water for the Future which has four priorities; namely:
The Authority also commissions research into aquatic science and is a source of information on Australian freshwater biology.
in the Basin.
The Water Amendment Act 2008 was introduced in December 2008 to amend the Water Act 2007. This law transferred authority from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, creating an independent, expert-based body that would manage the Basin holistically for the first time.
As at December 2010, the Authority has produced the following plans and strategies:
The MDBA also established a water trading scheme across states to increase water use efficiency.
of the Murray-Darling Basin. The plan entailed cutting existing water allocations and increasing environmental flow
s. The proposed plan is the first part of a three-stage process to address the problems of the Murray-Darling Basin; namely, over-allocation, prolonged drought, natural climate variability and climate change, leading to deteroriation of rivers, wetlands, forests and floodplains in the basin. MDBA is responsible for preparing and overseeing a legally enforceable management plan – the Basin Plan. The main aim of the Plan is to return between 3,000 and 4,000 GL to the river system.
The Basin Plan is claimed to be designed to set and enforce environmentally sustainable limits on the quantities of water that may be taken from Basin water resources, to set Basin-wide environmental, water quality
and salinity
objectives, to develop efficient water trading
regimes across the Basin, to set requirements for state water resource plans and to improve water security for all Basin users. It also intends to optimise social and economic impacts once these environmental outcomes have been met.
With the release of the Guide to the Proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan there were a significant number of protests and voiced concerns in rural towns that the MDBA visited to present the proposed plan at consultation meetings. In Renmark
, more than 500 people attended the Authority's first public consultation meeting in the local hotel that accommodated only 250 people. The draft plan proposed water cuts of up to 35% in the Riverland
area, forcing job losses and reduced flows to angry irrigators. Over 5,000 people attended a meeting in Griffith
where the local Mayor, Mike Neville, said the plan would "obliterate" Murrumbidgee
valley communities. Other groups also echoed this feeling, such as the Victorian Farmers Federation and the Wine Group Growers' Australia. There was also been support for the draft plan by various groups, including the Australian Conservation Foundation
, and Environment Victoria
.
In legal advice, dated 25 October 2010, from the Australian Government Solicitor
, the Government's reading is that the draft plan must give equal weight to the environmental, social and economic impacts of proposed cuts to irrigation. Environmentalists and South Australian irrigators say the Authority should stick to its original figure. In October 2010, a parliamentary inquiry into the economic impacts of the plan was announced. While, in November 2010, the Authority announced that it might be forced to push back the release of its final plan for the river system until early 2012.
Less than one month later, Mike Taylor, then Chair of the Authority, announced his decision to resign effective from the end of January 2011. In announcing his resignation, he cited his concerns that the Water Act made it difficult to balance the environmental and socio-economic impacts of cuts to water allocations aimed at rescuing rivers in the basin. Of crucial concern was Taylor's desire to not oversee a process that returned less than 3,000 GL to the basin. Both the Prime Minister
, Julia Gillard
, and the Water Minister, Tony Burke
, rejected Taylor's concerns that the Water Act and the objectives of the Authority were compromised.
In May 2011, The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists withdrew its support for the Murray Darling Basin Plan, who described the process as seriously flawed and a waste of taxpayers' money. The Wentworth Group said they could not support the plan which they believed would cost billions and claimed that it would not fix the problems in the river system. The Wentworth Group wanted a minimum 4000 gigalitres of water returned to the river system but the group believed that it would not happen under the draft plan.
In June 2011, a federal parliamentary committee (chaired by independent Tony Windsor
) delivered its report to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and its recommendations on water cutbacks in the basin. The committee was told river communities faced annihilation if 4,000 gigalitres was returned to the environment. The committee also reported that the health of the river system could be protected without the cuts. The Australian Conservation Foundation says it is disappointed by the report delivered by the inquiry into the Murray-Darling river system. The Australian Conservation Foundation believes that buybacks are the most efficient way to save the basin.
In November 2011, the draft plan was finally released. The plan proposes that 2,750 GL per year be cut from water allocations over a period of seven years.
Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
in an integrated and sustainable
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
manner. The Authority (MDBA) is the statutory agency that manages, in conjunction with the Basin states, the Murray–Darling Basin’s water resources in the national interest. The Authority reports to the Australian Government Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
The Authority was established under the Water Act (2007) which was introduced under the Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
as part of the National Water Plan for Water Security. The Water Act (2007) was a response to the drought
Drought in Australia
Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...
and the potential effects of climate change in Australia
Climate change in Australia
Climate change has become a major issue in Australia due to drastic climate events since the turn of the 21st century that have focused government and public attention. Rainfall in Australia has increased slightly over the past century, although there is little or no trend in rainfall in northeast...
. The law aimed to fulfill Australia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The Chief Executive of the Authority is Dr Rhondda Dickson who replaced Rob Freeman (resigned 1 June 2011). The Chairman of the Authority is Craig Knowles
Craig Knowles
Craig John Knowles is a former Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2005....
. Knowles was appointed in January 2011 after the December 2010 resignation of Mike Taylor. Taylor resigned as he believed that the overriding principle should be the environmental outcome, which was in conflict with the Gillard Government and following a period of sustained criticism of the Authority and the implementation of the proposed draft basin plan.
Whilst the Authority is a Commonwealth Government agency, an inter-governmental Murray‑Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MDBMC) acts in an advisory role in the preparation of the Basin Plan by the Authority. This Council comprises the Commonwealth Minister with responsibility for Water, who also chairs the council, and one minister from each of the basin states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia) and the Australian Capital Territory. The MDBMC introduced the Murray-Darling Cap
Murray-Darling Cap
The Murray-Darling Cap is a policy limiting the water diversions in the Murray-Darling Basin at 1993 levels. It seeks to strike a balance between the amount of water available to irrigators and the security of their water supply. At the time of conception in 1997, the level of diversions from the...
in response to the 1995 report titled "An Audit of Water Use in the Murray-Darling Basin".
Role of the Authority
Environmental planning
Environmental Planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out development with due consideration given to the natural environmental, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic frame work to achieve sustainable outcomes.-Elements of environmental...
the integrated management
Integrated catchment management
Integrated catchment management is a subset of environmental planning which approaches sustainable resource management from a catchment perspective, in contrast to a piecemeal approach that artificially separates land management from water management....
of water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin. In addition to the Commission’s former functions, the Authority’s role includes:
- preparing the Basin Plan, for adoption by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, including setting sustainable limits on water that can be taken from surface and groundwaterGroundwaterGroundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
systems across the basin - implementing and enforcing the basin plan
- advising the minister on the accreditation of state water resource plans
- developing a water rightWater rightWater right in water law refers to the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious...
s information service which facilitates water trading across the Murray-Darling basin - measuring and monitoring water resources in the basin
- gathering information and undertaking research
- educating and engaging the community in the management of the basin’s resources.
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is an integral element of the Commonwealth Government's program Water for the Future which has four priorities; namely:
- tackling climate changeClimate change in AustraliaClimate change has become a major issue in Australia due to drastic climate events since the turn of the 21st century that have focused government and public attention. Rainfall in Australia has increased slightly over the past century, although there is little or no trend in rainfall in northeast...
- supporting healthy rivers
- using water wisely and
- securing water suppliesWater supply and sanitation in AustraliaWater supply and sanitation in Australia is universal and of good quality. As the country's supply of freshwater is increasingly vulnerable to droughts, possibly as a result of climate change, there is an emphasis on water conservation and various regions have imposed restrictions on the use of...
.
The Authority also commissions research into aquatic science and is a source of information on Australian freshwater biology.
History
Since 1914, there have been various intergovernmental agreements relating to Murray‑Darling water resources. Widespread degradation of the Murray-Darling basin’s natural resources was apparent in the 1980s. At the time, institutional arrangements for water resources management lay with the five State and Territory governments in the Basin, with little co-ordination. In response to this problem, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission was established in January 1988 under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, with a charter to efficiently manage and equitably distribute River Murray water resources. Secondly it was to protect and improve the water quality of the River Murray and its tributaries and lastly to advise the Murray-Darling Ministerial Council on water, land and environmental managementEnvironmental management
Environmental resource management is “a purposeful activity with the goal to maintain and improve the state of an environmental resource affected by human activities” . It is not, as the phrase suggests, the management of the environment as such, but rather the management of the interaction and...
in the Basin.
The Water Amendment Act 2008 was introduced in December 2008 to amend the Water Act 2007. This law transferred authority from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, creating an independent, expert-based body that would manage the Basin holistically for the first time.
As at December 2010, the Authority has produced the following plans and strategies:
- a natural resources management strategy
- a basin sustainability plan
- strategic plans
- project plans for the development of policies and strategies and
- plans for generating and sharing knowledge, including a human dimension programme.
The MDBA also established a water trading scheme across states to increase water use efficiency.
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan
On 8 October 2010, the Authority released a major document entitled the Guide to the Proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan outlining a plan to secure the long-term ecological healthEcological health
Ecological health or ecological integrity or ecological damage are the symptoms of an ecosystem's pending loss of carrying capacity, its ability to perform ecological services, or a pending ecocide, due to cumulative causes such as pollution. it can also be defined as farming so as to minimize the...
of the Murray-Darling Basin. The plan entailed cutting existing water allocations and increasing environmental flow
Environmental flow
‘’’Environmental flows’’’ describe the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well being that depend on these ecosystems...
s. The proposed plan is the first part of a three-stage process to address the problems of the Murray-Darling Basin; namely, over-allocation, prolonged drought, natural climate variability and climate change, leading to deteroriation of rivers, wetlands, forests and floodplains in the basin. MDBA is responsible for preparing and overseeing a legally enforceable management plan – the Basin Plan. The main aim of the Plan is to return between 3,000 and 4,000 GL to the river system.
The Basin Plan is claimed to be designed to set and enforce environmentally sustainable limits on the quantities of water that may be taken from Basin water resources, to set Basin-wide environmental, water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
and salinity
Salinity in Australia
Soil salinity and dryland salinity are two problems degrading the environment of Australia. Salinity is a concern in most states, but especially in the south-west of Western Australia....
objectives, to develop efficient water trading
Water trading
Water trading is the process of buying and selling of water access entitlements, also often called water rights. The terms of the trade can be either permanent or temporary, depending on the legal status of the water rights. Some of the western states of the United States, Chile, South Africa,...
regimes across the Basin, to set requirements for state water resource plans and to improve water security for all Basin users. It also intends to optimise social and economic impacts once these environmental outcomes have been met.
With the release of the Guide to the Proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan there were a significant number of protests and voiced concerns in rural towns that the MDBA visited to present the proposed plan at consultation meetings. In Renmark
Renmark, South Australia
Renmark is a town in South Australia's rural Riverland area, and is located 254 km northeast of Adelaide, on the banks of the River Murray. The Sturt Highway between Adelaide and Sydney runs through the town; Renmark is the last major town encountered in South Australia when driving this route. It...
, more than 500 people attended the Authority's first public consultation meeting in the local hotel that accommodated only 250 people. The draft plan proposed water cuts of up to 35% in the Riverland
Riverland
The Riverland, is a region of South Australia. It covers the area near the Murray River from where it flows into South Australia downstream to Blanchetown.The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxton, Waikerie and Barmera...
area, forcing job losses and reduced flows to angry irrigators. Over 5,000 people attended a meeting in Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
where the local Mayor, Mike Neville, said the plan would "obliterate" Murrumbidgee
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
valley communities. Other groups also echoed this feeling, such as the Victorian Farmers Federation and the Wine Group Growers' Australia. There was also been support for the draft plan by various groups, including the Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...
, and Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria is Victoria’s leading independent environment group. Established in 1969 as the Conservation Council of Victoria, Environment Victoria was set up by Victoria's community conservation groups to provide a single unified voice for Victoria's environment. Today, Environment...
.
In legal advice, dated 25 October 2010, from the Australian Government Solicitor
Australian Government Solicitor
Australian Government Solicitor, previously known as Commonwealth Deputy Crown Solicitor, is a law firm that provides legal services to the Government of Australia, and occasionally to governments of the states and territories of Australia...
, the Government's reading is that the draft plan must give equal weight to the environmental, social and economic impacts of proposed cuts to irrigation. Environmentalists and South Australian irrigators say the Authority should stick to its original figure. In October 2010, a parliamentary inquiry into the economic impacts of the plan was announced. While, in November 2010, the Authority announced that it might be forced to push back the release of its final plan for the river system until early 2012.
Less than one month later, Mike Taylor, then Chair of the Authority, announced his decision to resign effective from the end of January 2011. In announcing his resignation, he cited his concerns that the Water Act made it difficult to balance the environmental and socio-economic impacts of cuts to water allocations aimed at rescuing rivers in the basin. Of crucial concern was Taylor's desire to not oversee a process that returned less than 3,000 GL to the basin. Both the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
, and the Water Minister, Tony Burke
Tony Burke
Anthony Stephen 'Tony' Burke is an Australian politician representing the Labor Party, and the current Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities . He first entered public office in 2003 as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council...
, rejected Taylor's concerns that the Water Act and the objectives of the Authority were compromised.
In May 2011, The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists withdrew its support for the Murray Darling Basin Plan, who described the process as seriously flawed and a waste of taxpayers' money. The Wentworth Group said they could not support the plan which they believed would cost billions and claimed that it would not fix the problems in the river system. The Wentworth Group wanted a minimum 4000 gigalitres of water returned to the river system but the group believed that it would not happen under the draft plan.
In June 2011, a federal parliamentary committee (chaired by independent Tony Windsor
Tony Windsor
Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor , an Australian politician, is an independent member of the House of Representatives since 2001, representing the Division of New England, New South Wales...
) delivered its report to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and its recommendations on water cutbacks in the basin. The committee was told river communities faced annihilation if 4,000 gigalitres was returned to the environment. The committee also reported that the health of the river system could be protected without the cuts. The Australian Conservation Foundation says it is disappointed by the report delivered by the inquiry into the Murray-Darling river system. The Australian Conservation Foundation believes that buybacks are the most efficient way to save the basin.
In November 2011, the draft plan was finally released. The plan proposes that 2,750 GL per year be cut from water allocations over a period of seven years.
See also
- Catchment Management AuthorityCatchment Management AuthorityThe Catchment Management Authorities were established in Victoria, Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Originally known as Catchment and Land Protection Boards, the CMAs were changed to their present name in 1997....
- River Basin Management PlansRiver Basin Management PlansRiver basin management plans are a management tool in Integrated Water Resources Management. They generally contain descriptions of the water resources in a drainage basin and water allocation plans.-Europe:...
External links
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority - website
- Murray-Darling Basin Commission - archived website
- An essay describing the MDBC's response to extreme drought conditions, Presented by Dr Wendy Craik in May 2008
- An essay which details the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's Living Murray Initiative, presented at the Australian Government Productivity Commission's Roundtable Proceedings "Promoting Better Environmental Outcomes" by Wendy Craik in August 2008
- The Basin Plan - Murray-Darling Basin Authority
- Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan - Murray-Darling Basin Authority
- Guide to the Basin Plan, Volumes 1 - 21 - Murray-Darling Basin Authority
- Basin Plan
- Murray-Darling Basin Science - Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Research to support Murray-Darling Basin industries and communities - CSIRO
- Issues Policy - Victoria Farmers Federation
- Murray-Darling Basin Plan - Environment Victoria