A NSW parliamentary inquiry into changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will hold a public hearing in Deniliquin.
The Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development will be in Deniliquin on June 11 as part of its inquiry into the impacts of the Commonwealth Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 on regional communities in NSW.
The committee is investigating how changes to water management in the Murray-Darling Basin introduced since 2023 have impacted the state’s regional communities.
Committee chair Roy Butler said public hearings were an important opportunity to hear from those directly impacted by the Act.
“The committee received a significant number of submissions from the Riverina and Murray areas,” Mr Butler said.
“We understand these regions are vulnerable to water scarcity, and concerned about the impacts further water buybacks might have on agriculture, commerce and their communities.
“These visits will also allow us to understand how the NSW and Australian governments can adjust their support to better help impacted areas.”
The Deniliquin hearing will be held at the Deniliquin Town Hall on Wednesday, June 11 from 11.30am to 6pm.
Mr Butler said further public hearings would be held across regional NSW this year.
The hearings will also be live-streamed on the NSW Parliament’s website at: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/webcasts.aspx
View the inquiry’s hearing schedule and read the submissions at: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=3089
Anyone interested in learning more about the inquiry process can also attend an in-person information session being held alongside the hearings. To learn more and register your interest, contact: investmentindustry@parliament.nsw.gov.au