Senator Joyce, shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water, said today that he supports calls for more resources to basin irrigators and communities so they can analyse the Basin Plan.
“At the MDBA information sessions I have been to, more questions have been asked than answered. There are issues with hydrology data not matching the availability of metering gauges and inconsistencies between the MDBA approach and State-based water sharing plans" Senator Joyce said today.
“Clearly, if we want to base the Basin Plan on the best available science, we need to fix the Guide to the proposed Basin Plan.
“The only way we can do that is to harness the knowledge that resides in the Basin, to make a better Basin Plan. Canberra is in the Basin but it bureaucrats can’t speak for the whole Basin.
“That is why, in the Coalition’s policy, we proposed that the Department of Water give the Basin Community Committee the resources to conduct their own analysis of the Basin Plan.
“We call on Minister Burke to give communities the means and ability to have their voice heard.”