Critical Murray-Darling Basin meeting in Canberra this Sunday

Basin Water Minsters are meeting in Canberra on Sunday 4 August to make important decisions about the way forward for the Basin Plan, while continuing to sidestep community concerns about the future of the Basin’s rivers and wetlands.

The Lifeblood Alliance has provided all Basin Water Minsters with a seven point community plan to get the implementation of the Basin Plan ‘Back on Track’.

Given the recent exposure of issues about the implementation of the Basin Plan, the key discussion at this next MinCo meeting needs to be about the immediate establishment of an independent Federal Basin Plan Regulator and commissioning a fully independent audit of the water recovery and expenditure that has occurred under the Basin Plan to date.

This is the only way to restore community confidence that public money is well invested and real water is being returned to the environment to improve the health of the Basin’s rivers and wetlands.

As required under the Water Act 2007, the Basin Plan must address the over extraction of water in order to protect, restore and provide for the ecological values and ecosystem services within the Murray-Darling Basin.

Implementing our seven point ‘Back on Track’ plan will ensure that the Basin Plan achieves its key objectives and results in proper investment of public money.

The Lifeblood Alliance looks forward to the outcomes of this critical MinCo meeting when public trust in the process of implementing the Basin Plan is at an all-time low.

For further comment, including response to MinCo Communique, contact:

Juliet Le Feuvre, Environment Victoria, 0428770019
Craig Wilkins, Conservation Council of SA, 0417879439
Bev Smiles, Inland Rivers Network NSW, 0428817282
Sarah Moles, Queensland, 0427753947

Read the Lifeblood Alliance’s ‘Back on Track’ community action plan >>

The Lifeblood Alliance consists of environmental, Indigenous and community groups committed to keeping the rivers, wetlands and aquifers of the Murray-Darling Basin healthy for the benefit of current and future generations. The Alliance includes the Australian Conservation Foundation, Environment Victoria, NSW Nature Conservation Council, Conservation Council of South Australia, River Lower Lakes and Coorong Action Group, Environmental Farmers Network, Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations, Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations, Goulburn Valley Environment Group, National Parks Association of NSW and Inland Rivers Network.