The Murray-Darling Association conference at Albury heard the Inspector-General of Water Compliance Troy Grant had found key river management agencies were doing their job but he acknowledged the space was complex.
His review was in response to Murray-Darling Basin community concerns about how the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder managed its environmental watering deliverables and how the Murray-Darling Basin Authority ran the Murray River system.
“It became very clear to me there was a lack of trust and confidence in how the MDBA was managing the river, as well as how the CEWH was going about using its environmental water,” Mr Grant said.
“... I made a commitment to look into these concerns, and my report shows these agencies are performing their functions according to their respective obligations.”
He said he did not find any explicit wrongdoing and saw opportunities and scope for improvement.
“I know this is not what many were expecting to hear, but as the Inspector-General, I can assure you, based on the evidence before me, this is what I found,” he said.
“Just as I will call out bad actors, actions and practices if I find them, in equal measure, I will acknowledge the good being done.”
Mr Grant said the report highlighted the complexities of water management and that each basin government held information about rules, entitlements, allocations and environmental water — that is, there was no single source of information.
The report also noted the “unresolved ... tension between the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, with its focus on sharing water between the southern states and irrigation, and the basin plan, with its focus on delivering water for the environment”.
“Neither of these instruments set out a clear or transparent prioritisation pathway for river operators should they face competing demands,” Mr Grant said.
“This leaves the community wary about how decisions around prioritisation will be made if the situation arises.
“I do see this as an area for further focus, if community concerns about management of the River Murray system are to be addressed.”
To view the report, visit: igwc.gov.au/reviews-reports