The Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s first five yearly assessment report on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The Minister, David Littleproud, said the Commission’s assessment found that significant progress had been made in implementing the Basin Plan including the recovery of water entitlements to meet the June 2019 target.
“The assessment finds arrangements for environmental water are working well,” Mr Littleproud said.
He said the Commission found evidence of improved ecological outcomes and that Basin Governments had made significant progress in implementing the key elements of the Plan.
“The assessment also states there are challenges going forward,” the Minister said.
“There is no doubt there is a lot more work to be done by the Commonwealth, the Basin States and the MDBA.”
Mr Littleproud said the Basin Plan had enjoyed bipartisan support since it was created in 2012.
“Shared responsibility and management of the river has seen the delivery of the Northern Basin Review, Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism, improved compliance and enforcement across the Basin and the historic decision to ensure an Indigenous member is permanently appointed to the Board of the Murray Darling Basin Authority.”
He said the Government would consider its response to the report in consultation with Basin States and Basin communities over the coming months.
The Productivity Commission’s 418-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
