Senate Estimates: Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (Murray-Darling Basin Authority)

Monday, February 24, 2014

Senator RHIANNON: Also with respect to the sale of the environmental water in the Gwydir Valley, did you identify additional environmental benefits that could have been gained by using the water in the area?

Senate Estimates: Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (Murray-Darling Basin Authority)

Monday, February 24, 2014

Senator RHIANNON: Thank you, Chair. Dr Dickson, I would like to move on to some of the international work of the authority. I understand there are memorandums of understanding with Mekong River Commission and the Yellow River Conservancy Commission in China. When do those MOUs expire? What is the annual budget allocated to them?

The O’Farrell government must support increased environmental returns in its imminent response to the revised Murray Darling Basin plan or risk the health of the river and NSW’s long term economic future, says Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon in an extended ‘Matter of Public Importance’ speech to the Senate today about NSW’s role in the challenge of restoring the Murray Darling Basin.

Senator Rhiannon spoke in the Senate today, in an extended ‘Matter of Public Importance’ speech, about NSW’s role in the challenge of restoring the Murray Darling Basin

With a little more than two weeks to go until public submissions close on the draft Murray Darling Basin Plan (16 April 2012), Federal Greens Senators and the Convenor of the Riverina Greens are calling for changes to the plan to build strong, viable communities in the Riverina that will survive well into the future. Senator Rhiannon in in Hay and Mildura on 2-3 April for the Senate inquiry into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Greens Senator and water spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said: