Murray-Darling Basin Plan report to be handed down today has prompted the Federal Government to unveil $70 million plan

Mass fish deaths in the Murray-Darling have led to a $70 million set of measures to protect, meter and monitor water flows — as a new study shows South Australians are more worried about the river’s future than those interstate.

Mass fish deaths in the Murray-Darling have led to $70 million of protection measures to protect and monitor water flows as a new study shows South Australians are more worried about the river’s future than those interstate.

Grisly images of dead and rotting fish near Menindee over summer prompted the Federal Government to commission an independent report into the disaster, which will be released publicly today.

The report found a lethal combination of weather, a lack of oxygen and low water flows led to the deaths. There were blue-green algal blooms which can also suck oxygen from the water. The deaths coincided with fierce debate over the future of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan with irrigators, communities, and environmental advocates all tussling for water.

The report’s main finding was that “sudden reductions in air temperature and increased wind associated with storms caused the weir pools to suddenly de-stratify, resulting in low oxygen water throughout the water column and no escape for the fish”. The Advertiser has not seen the full report.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young holding a dead fish at Menindee. Picture supplied

Water Minister David Littleproud said yesterday his Government would accept all of its recommendations, which include protecting water when flows are low, investing in metering of water, expanding res earch into water management,and restocking rivers and lakes with native fish.

“I think all Australians who saw footage of these fish deaths were deeply saddened,” Mr Littleproud said. The $70 million comes from the Murray-Darling Basin funds.

While farmers in NSW were shocked by the fish deaths, a new survey from the Australia Institute shows South Australians are far more worried about the future of the river system than their upstream counterparts. The poll of 2160 Australians found 77 per cent of South Australians believe the river system is poor or very poor, compared to 55 per cent nationally. When it came to the future health of the river, the standard of river management, and the fairness of water sharing, similar results were found.

The survey also found three in four South Australians want a federal royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The Australia Institute’s SA projects manager Noah Schultz-Byard said as the end-stream users, South Australians had known for decades that the Basin was in trouble.

“The continual demise of the Murray has been heartbreaking for the SA community and this research shows that people are fed up,” he said.