SENATE SUPPORTS CENTRE ALLIANCE'S MURRAY-DARLING SELECT COMMITTEE

Today the Senate supported Centre Alliance's motion for the establishment of a Senate Select Committee into the Multi-Jurisdictional Management and Execution of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

"With five states, all with different rules, and the Federal Government attempting to manage the Plan, it is not clear who is responsible for what, nor what the negative effects of different rules across each state are," said Centre Alliance Environment spokesperson Senator Rex Patrick.

"There are questions around how the different measuring, monitoring and compliance measures in each state impact the execution of the Plan, as well as the effects of different enforcement approaches in each jurisdiction. Oversight remains a serious problem and issues around transparency are significant."

"We need to get a solid understanding of the detriment that having multiple jurisdictions trying to manage the Basin has on the river system," said Senator Patrick. "The Murray Darling is a national river system not just important to South Australia, but to the nation. It's the nation's food bowl and a $22 billion hub of economic activity. It must be governed properly." 

The terms of references for the Select Committee are available here.