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Report: Inquiry Into the Implications for the Long-Term Sustainable

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The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Implications for long-term sustainable management of the Murray Darling Basin system. Final report June 2009 Commonwealth of Australia ISBN 978-1-74229-100-0 This document was prepared by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, and printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra. ii Members of the Committee Members Senator Fiona Nash NAT, New South Chair (from 14 May Wales 2009) Appointed to committee on 12 March 2009 Senator Glenn Sterle ALP, Western Chair (to 14 May 2009) Australia Deputy Chair (from 14 May 2009) Senator Christine Milne* AG, Tasmania Deputy Chair (to 14 May 2009) Senator the Hon. Bill Heffernan LP, New South Wales Senator Annette Hurley ALP, South Australia Discharged from committee on 5 February 2009 Senator Steve Hutchins ALP, New South Discharged from Wales committee on 14 May 2009 Senator Don Farrell ALP, South Australia Appointed to the committee on 5 February 2009 Discharged from committee on 14 May 2009 Senator Julian McGauran** LP, Victoria Senator Kerry O'Brien*** ALP, Tasmania Senator John Williams NAT, New South Discharged from Wales committee on 14 May 2009 Substitute Members * Senator Rachel Siewert, AG, Western Australia, replaced Senator Christine Milne for this inquiry. ** Senator Mary-Jo Fisher, LP, South Australia, replaced Senator Julian McGauran for this inquiry. *** Senator Don Farrell, ALP, South Australia, replaced Senator O'Brien for the period 15 September 2008 to 12 December 2008. iii Participating Members Senator Simon Birmingham LP, South Australia Senator Nick Xenophon Ind, South Australia Committee Secretariat Ms Jeanette Radcliffe, Secretary Ms Ann Palmer, Principal Research Officer Mr Peter Short, Principal Research Officer Ms Maria Sarelas, Executive Assistant Ms Rosalind McMahon, Executive Assistant Parliament House, Canberra Telephone: (02) 6277 3511 Facsimile (02) 6277 5811 Internet: www.aph.gov.au/senate_rrat Email: [email protected] iv Table of Contents Members of the Committee .............................................................................. iii Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... ix Recommendations .............................................................................................. xi Chapter 1.............................................................................................................. 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Terms of reference .................................................................................................. 1 Conduct of inquiry .................................................................................................. 1 Structure of the committee's report ........................................................................ 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 2 A note on references ............................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2.............................................................................................................. 5 Governance arrangements under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform ............................................................................... 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 5 Adequacy of current whole-of-Basin governance arrangements under the Intergovernmental Agreement ................................................................................ 5 Chapter 3............................................................................................................ 17 Implementation of the Basin Plan and water sharing arrangements ................ 17 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 17 Implementation of the Basin Plan ........................................................................ 17 Chapter 4............................................................................................................ 27 Long-term prospects for the management of Ramsar wetlands in the Murray- Darling Basin........................................................................................................... 27 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 27 Current status of Ramsar wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin ........................ 29 Prospects for the long-term management of Ramsar wetlands ............................ 30 Chapter 5............................................................................................................ 41 Environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin ........................................... 41 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 41 Water Entitlement Buyback ................................................................................. 41 Infrastructure Program .......................................................................................... 42 Case Studies .......................................................................................................... 43 Issues raised on environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin .................... 45 Chapter 6............................................................................................................ 73 The impacts of climate change and the likely future availability of water in the Murray-Darling Basin ............................................................................................ 73 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 73 Impacts of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin .................................... 73 Planning for the impacts of reduced water availability ........................................ 78 Chapter 7............................................................................................................ 83 Unregulated water interception activities ............................................................ 83 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 83 Water interception activities in the Murray-Darling Basin .................................. 83 Regulation of water interception activities ........................................................... 86 Harvesting of overland flows ............................................................................... 88 Chapter 8............................................................................................................ 95 Other issues ............................................................................................................. 95 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 95 Progress in implementing National Water Initiative reforms .............................. 95 State and territory water and natural resource management legislation and enforcement arrangements.................................................................................... 99 Chapter 9.......................................................................................................... 107 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 107 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 107 Coorong and Lower Lakes ................................................................................. 107 The long term sustainable management of the Murray-Darling Basin .............. 108 Minority Report .............................................................................................. 111 Australian Labor Party ........................................................................................ 111 Minority Report .............................................................................................. 121 Australian Greens ................................................................................................. 121 Additional Comments ..................................................................................... 123 Senator Nick Xenophon ....................................................................................... 123 Appendix 1 ....................................................................................................... 125 List of Submissions ............................................................................................... 125 Water Management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes....................................... 125 The long term sustainable management of the Murray-Darling Basin .............. 129 Appendix 2 ....................................................................................................... 131 Witnesses who appeared before the Committee ................................................ 131 at the public hearings ..........................................................................................
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