Release of “Guide to Draft Basin Plan” to be delayed

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority announced today following a discussion of Authority members that, consistent with election caretaker period conventions, it will defer the release date of the Guide to the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan. In a released statement, the Authority has indicated that it understands the significant community interest in what the proposed Basin Plan will put forward and is keen to provide stakeholders, irrigators and Basin communities with the opportunity of finding out what the Authority is proposing.

A meeting of the Authority made the judgement that the release date would be considered at the end of August.

The news of the delay has been subject to criticism from Chief executive of the National Irrigators Council Danny O'Brien, who said the delay was "a political decision that subverts the natural democratic process".

We know they got advice from the Australian Government Solicitor about what their obligations would be in caretaker mode. My understanding was that advice said there was nothing to stop them putting it out.

The council has called on the authority to release the advice so we know exactly where they stand -- otherwise we can only assume it was a political decision.

Other observers, such as Dr Arlene Harriss-Buchan from the Australian Conservation Foundation, said whilst it was disappointing the plan had been delayed, it would at least mean the issue was quarantined from a pre-election war of words. "As the plan has been delayed, it is best for its release to be removed from the election period to avoid the plan being used as a political football," Dr Harriss-Buchan said.