Australia Takes First Step to Repair River Murray

CANBERRA, Australia, November 14, 2003 (ENS) - An historic first step towards restoring the Murray River to environmental health was taken today, with the announcement of a joint national-state program to restore water flows and upgrade local environments along the river.

In an agreement between the Australian Government and the four states through which the river flows, the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council today decided on the environmental objectives for the first stage of its program to address the declining health of the River Murray system.

Meeting these objectives will require an average of up to 500 gigalitres of carefully managed environmental water each year, officials said, an amount equal to the volume of water in Sydney Harbour.

The Murray-Darling is a massive river system that stretches through Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Three million people get water from the system. It supports one third of Australia's cattle, half the country's sheep. Half of all Australian crops are kept alive with water from these rivers.

The Murray River mouth near the Hindmarsh Island bridge (Photo courtesy Environment Centre Northern Territory)

On average over the last 10 years, nearly 80 percent of the Murray’s natural flow has been diverted for irrigated agriculture and urban use. Not only does the river system have less water, it is also battling boosted sediment, nutrient, salt and pesticide levels as a result of farming and land use.

One million people in Adelaide drink water taken from the Murray River. If the salt level keeps rising scientists say Adelaide's water will eventually become undrinkable.

Together, these factors place the health of the river under increasing stress with long term consequences to water quality.

The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council today decided that the first step toward solving these problems will focus on achieving environmental benefits for six key ecological assets, known as icon sites.

• Barmah - Millewa Forest
  
• Gunbower and Perricoota-Koondrook Forests
  
• The Hattah Lakes
  
• Chowilla Floodplain including Lindsay-Wallpolla
  
• The Murray Mouth, Coorong and Lower Lakes
  
• The River Murray channel

  The water for the environmental flows required under this first stage is expected to come from a combination of engineering works, better management of river flows, on-farm water efficiency savings and some purchase of water from willing sellers.

  Water will not be obtained by compulsory acquisition. It is intended that water be obtained on a "no regrets" basis, the council said, that is, there will be no adverse social or economic impacts on river communities.

  

  The Barmah Forest on the River Murray is one of the sites selected for restoration. (Photo courtesy Australian Department of Education)

  The proposal will be discussed with local communities through a process that will inform communities on the nature and rationale of the first step proposal. The council will seek community input to refine the elements of the proposal including the environmental objectives to be targeted, where the water will come from and how it will be recovered and managed; and promises to involve communities in planning and arrangements for implementing the first stage.

  After the consultation process has been completed and details of the funding package are agreed by the Council of Australian Governments, a final recommendation will be put to the Ministerial Council meeting following completion of the consultation process around mid-2004.

  The proposal met with the approval of both farmers and conservationists. The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) called it "a strong foundation for the delivery of positive outcomes for the environment and river communities."

  NFF Water Task Force Chair Paul Weller said the federation is "pleased that ministers have listened to farmers and recognized the importance of their need for secure water access entitlements and their call for water to be obtained with no adverse social or economic impacts on river communities.”

  Weller reiterated NFF calls for farmers to be given secure access over their water entitlements in perpetuity. “We look forward to continuing to work with Governments to refine elements of the proposal, particularly in relation to identifying where the water will come from and how it will be recovered, and managed,” he said.

  The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) commended the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council for its decision to repair the icon sites on the Murray River, but warned that the whole river needs urgent action.

  "It's good that our governments are working together on these sites but this plan will deliver less than a third of the water that the science says is needed to save the Murray," said ACF Executive Director Don Henry.

  "Let's be clear that this short-term focus on icon sites, while valuable in protecting some special values, is no substitute for a healthy Murray River," said Henry.

  In August, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to make A$500 million available to address the Living Murray initiative and the over-allocation of water in the Murray-Darling Basin.

  

  Sunset on the River Murray at Hattah Lakes (Photo courtesy Hattah-Kulkyne Wilderness Lodge)

  The council is expected to agree on a regime to provide secure water access entitlements for irrigators and the institutional arrangements for water trading, as part of the National Water Initiative. The implementation of this initiative is a pre-requisite for implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council's program.

  The first stage program announced today will be complemented by the realignment of the seven year A$150 million works program to which the Council committed in April 2002.

  This program is additional to the $500 million provided by the Council of Australian Governments. The realignment will enable engineering and other works to be undertaken to ensure the best outcomes for the five key ecological assets.

  There will be a full integration of environmental flows, structural works, operating rules and whole of river environmental management.

  The council will continue work on further actions required to restore the River Murray to healthy working condition. A program of longer term actions to build on this first stage will be considered by the council in October 2004.

  This will take into account the release of the final report the Scientific Reference Panel, expected in mid-2004, detailed social and economic analysis and experience with and community views derived from the first stage process.

  Henry said the conservation community sees the new plan in a positive light. "Spread over 10 years, a 1500 gigalitre decision next year would have an annual impact on irrigators of less than two percent per annum," he said. "With the funds used to buy-back water invested in irrigation efficiency, this means a win for the environment and a win for the economy."

  The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is online at: http://www.mdbc.gov.au/index.htm