Murray Darling Basin Authority apologises after farmers named and shamed
The Murray Darling Basin Authority will be investigated after unfairly exposing drought stricken farmers without proof of illegal activity in a move likened to a website used by activists to target farmers.
NSW
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The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will be investigated for “naming and shaming” drought-stricken farmers who had water in their dams, with the authority having no proof they had engaged in illegal activity.
In a move likened to the “Aussie Farms” website used by activists to target farmers, the Authority published the precise longitude and latitude of 34 NSW dams in the Namoi and Macquarie catchments because satellites had detected water flowing into them.
The water monitoring report was first published last Thursday, but taken down within 24 hours and replaced with a new version and a “publication error” notice on the MDBA website.
However the new report simply redacted the last few digits of the location, meaning it was still possible to identify the properties.
Water Resources Minister David Littleproud today announced he has asked Murray Darling Inspector-General Mick Keelty to undertake a “tough but fair” investigation into the “premature release” of the report.
“We want to the public to have the full picture on how this happened,” Mr Littleproud said.
Mr Keelty has been asked to investigate the events that led to the premature release of the report, the MDBA’s response, the “adequacy” of their procedures for managing the release of compliance information and finally report back to the Minister.
Mr Littleproud said the public needed to have “confidence” in the MDBA and the investigation would “hold them to account”.
“Mr Keelty is an eminent Australian who will be tough, but fair in getting to the bottom of this,” he said.
“I have asked the Inspector-General to report back to me by the end of November.”
Namoi Water chief officer Jon-Maree Baker said local farmers were “terribly upset” and “appalled” a government authority had misused sensitive information.
“This is no different to the Aussie Farms map because it potentially places at risk individual farmers and their farms, which are their workplaces and their homes,” she said.
“Farmers fully support robust compliance … but they really think this has crossed a line and has certainly put them all under pressure at a time when people are already feeling vulnerable in the drought.”
Ms Baker said the information in the report was “inaccurate and misleading” because farmers were allowed to take up to 10 per cent of rain run off under NSW law, and satellite images could not be accurately used to detect the volume of dams.
In a statement the MDBA acknowledged the publication of the earlier report “may have caused unnecessary concern and confusion to landholders”.
“Satellite images alone are not evidence of illegal activity, they indicate areas for further consideration and possible compliance investigation,” the statement said.
The Daily Telegraph understands the federal government will launch an immediate investigation into the bungled release of the report.
Parkes MP and federal minister Mark Coulton said he was furious farmers in his electorate could be linked to illegal activity “without any charges being laid”.
“I recognise an apology has been issued, but to an extent, the damage is done,” he said. “We need to never lose sight of the presumption of innocence.”
NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey said the details in the report were a “direct violation of privacy”.
“Some of the locations identified are for stock and domestic who have an entitlement on any water system,” she said. “It is a right — not a breach.”
Ms Pavey said in NSW it was up to the Natural Resources Access Regulator to respond to any alleged breaches.
“I can confirm that NRAR received information from the MDBA … in relation to satellite monitoring of river flows they undertook in the Namoi and Macquarie rivers,” she said.