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Murray Darling Basin Authority
Ministers asked to fight for rural communities
“Don’t forget how hard we fought to get an effective socio-economic neutrality test.” That is the message from the community-based Speak Up Campaign, which is encouraging state water ministers in New South Wales and Victoria to ensure the agreed test is applied before any more water is recovered ... “All the indications suggest Ms Plibersek wants to reintroduce water buybacks, despite the massive social and economic damage from previous buybacks": Speak Up chair Shelley Scoullar.
Deniliquin farmer continues fight
Deniliquin farmer Anthony Roelink is continuing his fight to highlight what he believes is poor management of our river systems. He says a failure by authorities to heed the advice of local residents exacerbated the 2022 flood situation along the Murray River.
Is it a bird? Drones focus on waterbird count in the Murray–Darling Basin: MDBA
The innovative use of drone technology combined with coding software is helping to improve the accuracy of waterbird monitoring across the Murray–Darling Basin ... "Collecting accurate data about waterbird numbers is vital to building our scientific knowledge and assessing the impacts of the Basin Plan": MDBA’s General Manager of Applied Science, Dr Matthew Coleman.
Euston weir and lock 15 to be reinstated: MDBA
The Euston weir and lock 15 will be reinstated ... as high flows in the River Murray continue to recede. The weir was removed in mid-September 2022 to allow floodwaters in the River Murray to pass unobstructed.
Federal Labor snubs farmers: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek is continuing to ignore farmers. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said despite multiple attempts by the VFF to meet with the Commonwealth, Minister Plibersek’s key water adviser and Murray Darling Basin Authority staff were in Shepparton, but did not meet farmers. “There is no group more impacted by the Basin Plan than farmers and the Commonwealth has chosen to ignore us.”
Sand slug season
As the Albanese Government is trying to rush through its water recovery strategy before Christmas, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s sand slug has been very active. Like a mythical creature that lurks in the watery depths, the sand slug was the MDBA’s answer to why the natural constraint of the Barmah Choke had reduced in water delivery capacity ... A recent photo from grass roots community members continues to highlight the rapid rate of erosion at Davies Beach, Cobram.
Murray–Darling Basin Authority communique, 12 December 2022
The Authority commended the ongoing efforts of the MDBA river operators to provide significant flood mitigation for communities downstream of Hume Dam, with twice the volume of the dam's capacity having been carefully released over the past 6 months to manage downstream flows. This has enabled the peak outflow from Hume Dam to be moderated throughout winter and spring.
Choke hold
Even with more than 100,000 megalitres a day crossing the South Australian border, SA Water closed the barrages due to seawater flowing into the freshwater estuary. SA Water satellite imagery also shows the current flooding is still not moving down the Coorong. The real risk of constraints relaxation may be felt closer to home. The modification of the Barmah Choke has been seen as the crown jewel for accessing held environmental water. The choke protects Echuca-Moama and Koondrook-Barham from large Murray floods from Hume Dam, currently on display with the flows heading north down the Edward-Wakool system ... Community concerns over constraints relaxation flooding farmers and potentially impacting townships has been labelled as scaremongering by MDBA Chief Executive Andrew McConville.
Murray Darling Basin Authority is out of touch: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation has expressed outrage towards the comments made by Murray Darling Basin Authority Chief Executive Andrew McConville in his Rural Press Club address, 10 years after the Basin Plan gave the green light to take water from farming communities. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said Mr McConville’s commentary ignored the ongoing impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on farming communities and sounded like it was designed to appease the Federal Labor government ... “We expect the MDBA CEO to be professional and impartial, not a political sycophant. It seems he needs to re-read the Basin Plan as he forgot to mention in his speech that the 450GL is only possible if there are no negative social and economic impacts”.
No secret pact for water buybacks: Anderson
The NSW Government has reaffirmed its opposition to non-strategic water buybacks being used to meet water recovery targets as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan ... Mr Anderson said the NSW Government welcomes the Commonwealth correcting the record and reaffirming there is no open round of buybacks being undertaken. “We have seen first-hand the negative long-term impact non-strategic buybacks have had on our communities and we want to avoid this,” Mr Anderson said.
