Fair Water Use Australia | striving for a revived Murray-Darling basin by supporting environmentally sustainable water-use - National State of Emergency Commission and National Commission of Inquiry

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Bridge over the Darling River. Photo by Mark Ingram Photography

Empty Darling River, Tilpa. Photo by Mark Ingram Photography

Dead tree trunks on the Darling River. Photo by Mark Ingram Photography

Darling River Trilby Station. Photo by Mark Ingram Photography

The Darling River Louth. Photo by Mark Ingram Photography

Lake Albert

Diversion of the Culgoa River, Cubbie Station. Photo by Google Earth

Acid sulphate decay, Lake Albert, October 2008

Bed of Lake Albert, October 2008

National State of Emergency Commission and National Commission of Inquiry

TERMS OF REFERENCE RELEASED

In response to the ongoing crisis, Fair Water Use commissioned Consultants in Quality Pty Ltd to draft terms of reference for both a National State of Emergency Commission (SOE) and a National Public Commission of Inquiry into the Murray-Darling crisis (NPCI).

These documents have now been released and copies provided to the Prime Minister, Basin State Premiers, Federal and State Ministers with responsibility for water and their opposition counterparts. We have requested that each of these senior party members indicate their stance on this issue - and await their response.

National coordinator of Fair Water Use, Ian Douglas, stated this morning, “The Prime Minister yesterday called for national leaders to show political courage on environmental issues. This raises public expectations that he will now walk the walk on the Murray-Darling crisis and that the Commonwealth will at long last assume full responsibility for the governance and administration of the river system and commission a far reaching inquiry to investigate the causes of the crisis and determine appropriate actions”.