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SOUTHEASTERN Murray Darling states have launched an independent panel to essentially mark the Basin Authority’s homework, as a critical juncture in the interstate water reform looms large.
Victorian Water Lisa Minister Neville and NSW Water Minister Niall Blair made a joint announcement to launch the panel in Albury today.
The states commissioned the panel to review the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) modelling of water recovery to be achieved by projects that boost efficiency of water movement – and deliver an equivalent environmental outcome.
Under complex Basin Plan jargon the initiative is given the catchy title of Sustainable Diversion Limit adjustment mechanism, and all states are required to propose water saving measures, which are then assessed by the MDBA.
The MDBA will make recommendations to the federal government, which ultimately distributes funding for the works.
NSW and Victoria have been frustrated by the MDBA’s early indications of the calculations of the volume of water savings from the proposed efficiency projects, which Mr Blair alluded to in his statement at the launch of the panel today.
“The panel has already provided us with a number of options to improve the adjustment mechanism, including ensuring assumptions are real-world, and including further pertinent science within the model,” Mr Blair said.
The states want to get maximum bang for their buck, and because water not recovered through efficiency works could come from irrigator entitlement buybacks, which would cause uproar in impacted communities.
Impacts to irrigator’s water entitlements were front of mind for Ms Neville said.
“We don’t support buy backs of water and this independent panel will allow us to get the same environmental outcomes while using the same or less water,” Ms Neville said.
An example of an SDL adjustment project is NSW’s mooted pipeline which runs from the Murray River at Wentworth to provide town water for Broken Hill.
It is designed to enable faster cycling of water as water moves along the Darling River, through Menindee Lakes towards Wentworth.
This reduces the time water sits in the lake and in turn, saves on evaporation losses.
The panel is to report by mid-March. The states are expected to sign off on projects by mid-2017 and the Commonwealth will distribute funds by the end of the year.
Expert panel
Dr Don Blackmore AM has 40 years of experience in water and natural resources management including a 15 year role as the Chief Executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission until his retirement in 2004.
Brett Tucker has a broad range of experience in water resource management and agriculture in a career spanning 25 years. He established Blackwatch Consulting, specialising in the provision of strategy, governance and operations advice to Government agencies.
Chris Arnott has worked across the Murray Darling Basin since 1994 and led the development of the first national snapshot of environmental water in the Australian Environmental Water Management Report 2010. He is also the co-founder of Aither, specialising in establishing, implementing and evaluating effective public policy performance frameworks.
Professor Peter Davies AM is an aquatic environmental scientist with 35 years’ experience in aquatic environmental issues nationwide and internationally. He is also director of Freshwater Systems, an independent aquatic environmental consultancy
