Review ordered into Murray Darling Basin Plan water use after allegations of misuse
A PUSH for a judicial inquiry into the River Murray water theft scandal is gathering pace with politicians from across the political divide on Sunday standing together to back the move.
- State Government calls for judicial inquiry into misuse of water
- Greg Barila: Why you should be furious over the great River ripoff
A PUSH for a judicial inquiry into the River Murray water theft scandal is gathering pace with politicians from across the political divide on Sunday standing together to back the move.
Federal and state Labor, Greens, Nick Xenophon Team and Australian Conservatives will continue to push for a judge-led investigation despite the Government announcing a review.
Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday ordered the Murray Darling Basin Authority to conduct a compliance review to scrutinise water use.
But the review was widely condemned as “toothless”, “half-baked” and would not be able to deal with the serious allegations that NSW cotton farmers stole billions of litres of water.
When Federal Parliament resumes next week, SA Labor Senator Penny Wong will put forward a motion to call on the Government to set up a national judicial inquiry.
But even if the motion passes the Senate only the Government has the power to set up such an inquiry with power to compel state and federal public servants to give evidence.
SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she would seek to establish an urgent Senate inquiry into the “mess”.
“If the Minster and Government won’t act then the Parliament must,” she said.
Senator Wong said a national judicial inquiry empowered to investigate the allegations was the only way to ensure confidence in the Basin Plan.
“The Turnbull Government is yet again squibbing it with a half-baked response in an effort to catch up,” she said.
Senator Nick Xenophon said the Government’s review “just doesn’t cut it”.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations only a judicial inquiry can get to the truth and such an inquiry would need to consider the role of the Murray Darling Basin Authority.
“It (the Government’s review) is a bit like Caesar judging Caesar and that’s not good enough.”
SA Water Minister Ian Hunter said the allegations go well beyond any compliance issue and needed a full judicial inquiry that would ensure public servants at the highest level were not undermining the Basin Plan.
“The NSW-led inquiry and the MDBA-led inquiry announced by the PM are toothless reviews that won’t provide the confidence our state needs to get the Basin Plan back on track,” he said.
Since the allegations surfaced last week, Federal Water Minister Barnaby Joyce has continually rejected the push for a national judicial inquiry. He said the allegations were “overwhelmingly” a matter for NSW.
Assistant Water Minister Anne Ruston said this review would be conducted by water experts who would be able to assess if the plan was achieving its water outcome.
“We need to work out if there are any systemic flaws,” she said.
“What was being called for was a judicial inquiry but we need water experts, not legal experts, to carry this out.”
The MDB Authority review would examine whether state laws and water licence conditions were appropriate and being complied with, the adequacy of water measurement and monitoring, and whether the rules were tough enough to ensure water was not being stolen or misused.
“Strong compliance regimes are just as important for irrigators as they are for the environment and basin communities,” Mr Turnbull said.
A Four Corners report last week that revealed cotton farmers were sucking water out of the river, some of them allegedly illegally.
NSW has already called an investigation into allegations of water theft at specific properties in the state’s north and whether a senior official helped irrigators undermine the Murray Darling Basin Plan, and whether a major investigation into water management breaches was stymied.
Top NSW water bureaucrat Gavin Hanlon has been referred to the NSW Independent Commission against Corruption.
As well, the Australian auditor-general will examine how the federal agriculture department monitors the performance of NSW under a national Murray Darling agreement.