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UNSW scientist advising government on Murray Darling water plan
May 22, 2008

Professor Kingsford

UNSW Professor Richard Kingsford has been named as member of the Federal Government's stakeholder consultative committee to advise the government on the Commonwealth Government's commitment to buy water for the Murray-Darling Basin.

The Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, named the consultative committee at a speech to an Irrigation Australia conference in Melbourne.  

The Government has allocated $3.1 billion from the $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan to purchase water used by irrigation license holders for redirection into rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin.

A further $5.8 billion will be invested in sustainable irrigation infrastructure and projects to help communities make an early adjustment to a new Basin-wide cap on water use.

"Rivers and wetlands within the Murray-Darling system are drying out with climate change, drought and the over-allocation of water to irrigators," said Kingsford, who is an expert in wetland ecology, rivers and environmental flow management.

"The Minister's announcement shows that the government is seriously tackling a number of major problems relating to water supply in the basin."

The consultative committee comprises 12 people from a broad cross-section of Murray Darling stakeholders. Professor Kingsford is the only scientist among a group that includes 10 from rural Australia, one environmentalist and an economist. 

"We have invited irrigators, community members, environmentalists and water experts onto the committee to look at how we can make best use of water purchasing into the future," Senator Wong said.

"Water purchase by the Government is a relatively new frontier, so we are acutely aware of the need to learn from our first foray into the market."

Senator Wong said she was aware of concerns being raised by some Basin communities in relation to the water purchase program.

"Basin communities are doing it tough and this situation has been made worse by the failure of the previous government to face up to the realities of climate change, drought and over-allocation."

Stakeholder Consultative Committee members are:

• Laurie Arthur, National Farmers Federation Water Task Force.
• Colin Thomson, chair, NSW Irrigators Council and director, Western Murray Irrigation.
• Ian Johnson, executive officer, Queensland Irrigators Council.
• Sharon Starick, South Australian Natural Resource Management Council and South Australian Farmers Federation.
• Richard Anderson, Victorian Farmers Federation.
• Dick Thompson, chair, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited.
• Mike Logan, chair, Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
• Dr Arlene Buchan, Australian Conservation Foundation - Healthy Rivers.
• Mary Annand, MacIntyre Brook Irrigators Association
• Ray Najar, general manager, Murray Darling Association.
• Prof Richard Kingsford, University of New South Wales.
• Prof Quentin Grafton, Australian National University