2nd Dec 2020, 3:56 PM – Senate Motions - Murray-Darling Basin - Note failings

The majority voted in favour of clause (a) of motion 891, which means it passed. It was introduced by South Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (Greens).

Motions like these don't make any legal changes but they can be politically influential as they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Murray-Darling Basin has been plagued by greed, corruption, water theft and a lack of action on climate change,

(ii) corporate irrigators have been allowed to run amok with water at the expense of river communities, small family farms and the environment,

(iii) the New South Wales (NSW) Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has just concluded two investigations into complaints about water management and alleged misconduct,

(iv) the ICAC found that irrigators' interests had been prioritised over the environment, and

(v) the ICAC made 15 recommendations, including to specifically deal with the undue focus on irrigators' interests within NSW water agencies and the:

(A) lengthy history of failure in giving proper and full effect to the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW),

(B) failure to fully implement water sharing plans and ensure they are audited,

(C) need to fund independent scientific audits to determine the ecological health of rivers,

(D) lack of transparency, balance and fairness in consultation processes undertaken by water agencies in relation to external stakeholders, and

(E) sidelining of public officials undertaking environmental roles within the NSW Government; and

(b) ...