Too many expectations, not enough certainty

www.mgcc-nsw.org
MEDIA RELEASE
20 September 2012
Too many expectations, not enough certainty
The Murray Group of Concerned Communities (MGCC) is calling on Federal Water Minister, Tony Burke to provide the detail of the proposed Sustainable diversion limit (SDL) adjustment mechanism before asking Parliament to vote on a Water Act amendment.
The Minister today introduced an amendment to the Water Act that he says will make a proposed SDL adjustment mechanism more efficient and gives the Murray-Darling Basin Authority the power to adjust SDLs without Parliamentary or State oversight.
In the accompanying explanatory note, it says:
"It is expected that the criteria to be included in the Basin Plan will include stakeholder consultation requirements."
"That 'expectation' is nice but provides communities with absolutely no certainty that it will actually be in the Basin Plan," MGCC Chairman, Bruce Simpson said.
"The explanatory note is littered with expectations and what they 'envisage' to be in the Plan. What it is lacking is any certainty that it will actually be there.
"This is a classic case of the Minister saying 'trust me'."
"The fact is, we have long ago learned that we cannot trust the MDBA to get the detail right.
"Until we know what the SDL adjustment mechanism looks like, we cannot support anything that gives that body power to make changes without recourse.
"The MGCC has always supported an adjustment mechanism that is conducted with community consultation and ensures more efficient use of environmental water.
"But as we saw with the last attempt by the MDBA to draft an adjustment mechanism, the devil is in the detail and the detail was bad for communities.
"The Minister must make the Basin Plan available if he seriously expects people to be able to judge this amendment on it merits," Mr Simpson said.
ENDS: For further information contact Bruce Simpson on 0429 681 317

The MGCC represents the Central Murray region of 33,000 people who are passionate about living and working in these regional and rural 

communities. The Central Murray communities have already given 20 per cent of water entitlements to the environment.