The Minister for Water resources has announced that the new Inspector-General of the Murray-Darling Basin Water Resources is to be based in the Victorian city of Mildura.
The Minister, David Littleproud said the Inspector-General will be setting up two offices in the city which would help restore confidence in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“I’ve always said the people who operate the river should live on the river — and so should the people who police it,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This will give the Inspector-General and his staff a real connection to the communities they serve as they engage with Basin communities about plan implementation and compliance.”
He said everyone needed to have confidence the plan was working and the rules were being followed.
Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government, Mark Coulton said it made perfect sense for an office of the Inspector General to be established in Mildura.
“Mildura has the added benefit of the having Victoria’s largest regional airport, which provides easy connectivity to our capital cities for families and businesses,” Mr Coulton said.
“Regional centres are wonderful places to live, work and raise a family and I’d like to see more people moving out of the capital cities and exploring what communities such as those here in the Sunraysia region have to offer.”
The Ministers said the position of Inspector-General was created in August as a “new tough cop on the beat”, with the task of ensuring the integrity of delivering the Basin Plan.
It replaces the Northern and Southern Basin Commissioners with former Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and currently Northern Basin Commissioner, Mick Keelty acting as interim Inspector-General.
