Given the heated debate on the upcoming Basin Plan and water policy in general, Fair Water Use is keen to know your thoughts on these issues. Please take a moment to complete a brief questionnaire, as it will assist us in prioritising our efforts:

VIEW SURVEY

After repeated delays, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority is now aiming to publish its Guide to the Basin Plan in November.

The Draft Guide, released by the Authority last year, indicated that, if the aim of the Basin Plan was to return the Murray-Darling to good health, environmental flows should be increased by at least 7,600 gigalitres per annum.

It surprised many observers that the Authority, the statutory body charged with protecting the Murray-Darling river system, recommended that only half this volume be sought; all but admitting that this decision, which threatens the very future of the river system, was driven by fear of backlash from powerful vested interests within the irrigation sector.

Following release of the Draft Guide, the Authority was justifiably criticised for the manner in which it presented its recommendations for public discussion. However, the vitriol which emanated from maverick groups of irrigators largely resulted from knee-jerk rejection of the figure of 3,000 to 4,000 gigalitres proposed by the Authority - despite the Draft Plan clearly stating that this reduced volume would be insufficient to revive the ecological health of many river valleys in the Basin, upon which all Basin farmers, and not just the irrigating minority, depend.

As part of its campaign to demand the substantial increase in environmental flows required to ensure the ecological health of the river system and thereby the future of all those who seek to utilise its water, Fair Water Use has agreed to join the Voices for the Murray-Darling, a national alliance of concerned groups and community members – both from the Basin and metropolitan Australia – who agree that Australia’s lifeblood is in crisis and the problem needs to be fixed now.

Supporters of Fair Water Use, and all those concerned about this critical issue, are urged to visit the Voices for the Murray-Darling website for more information about the campaign and to sign a petition, to be presented to Craig Knowles, the current Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

"We, the under-signed organizations, representing civil-society organizations and social movements from around the world, call upon the members of the UN NGO Committee to reject the application of Aquafed, the International Federation of Private Water Operators, for United Nations ECOSOC consultative status at the May 16-24, 2011 session of the committee."

FWU is concerned that this Inquiry will recommend amendment to the Water Act 2007, to allow the Commonwealth to downgrade its commitment to the environment of the Murray-Darling river system, to placate an outspoken section of the irrigation community.

Our submission addresses these important issues . . . .

Excellent rains have provided welcome relief for the Murray-Darling. 

However, unless we learn from our mistakes, and more importantly those made by the administrations and institutions responsible for the river system, it will only be a matter of a few short years before the situation is as grim as it was until recently. 

We have provided The Hon Tony Burke, the new Minister with responsibility for water, with a copy of this document and await his comments.

* All calculations based on data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics