Climate change and the Murray-Darling Basin plan are two of the most divisive environmental issues in Australia. They are also two of the most important. But what does the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) plan to do about climate change in its Murray-Darling Basin plan?

As 20 weeks of consultations on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan draft end — and just 12 hours remain for public submissions — it’s worth examining just how effective the latest lot of public meetings by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority have proved to be.

Another battle has broken out in the murky war over the Murray-Darling Basin plan, with Victoria and South Australia in disagreement over the level of water cuts and two different groups — including the SA government — now threatening that the current basin plan is illegal.

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists released its 25-page criticism of the Murray-Darling Basin draft plan earlier this month. And while many news outlets reported that that the scientists were scathing of the plan, few explained exactly why. We thought we’d let the Wentworth Group explain it for themselves..

After 20 years of water reform and 12 months of good rainfall, irrigators have never been better placed to deal with the adjustments necessary to restore the Murray-Darling to health.

The use of groundwater is “a major determiner in Australia’s future when it comes to water”, according to Professor Craig Simmons, director of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training.

John Hunwick, environmental educator and activist, writes: I have no special expertise on the condition of the Murray-Darling Basin. My lifelong interest has been in understanding ecology and how that understanding becomes part of the community’s understanding of how our environment works. Inevitably, living in South Australia I have been made aware of every “advance” made [...]

When the Murray Darling Basin Authority held a meeting in Griffith last Thursday, irrigators tried to replicate their stunt of burning copies of the plan in the street. Luckily, the good folk at the MDBA had planned for this contingency and waxed the report to a high ****** — neatly rendering the pages flame retardant. This serves as a good metaphor for the response of irrigators to the plan more broadly; a great deal of sound and fury, but ultimately self-defeating.

This speech was delivered last week by Finley High School principal Bernie Roebuck at the Murray Darling Basin Plan consultations in Deniliquin. It received a standing ovation from the 3000 people present — including federal water minister Tony Burke and Murray Darling Basin Authority head Craig Knowles. Burke later commented: “Everything at these meetings obviously [...]

Craig Knowles, chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, writes: Last week, we kicked off our first public meetings after the release of the draft basin plan. I say this because we have been consulting with communities, individuals and representative groups since February. The formal part of the public consultation started in St. George, Queensland and [...]