MURRAY-DARLING BASIN COMMISSION - JULY 2004 SUBSCRIBER E-LETTER No 32

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In this issue:

• MDBC welcomes clarity from CoAG water agreement
• New Chief Executive for Murray-Darling Basin Commission
• $11m Sustainable River Audit checks out Basin rivers' health
• MDBC River Murray documentary wins high TV ratings
• New Community Advisory Committee up and running
• New MDBC toolkit offers ideas for better community engagement
• Agroforestry book shortlisted for publishing award
• MDBC Submission to Salinity Science inquiry
• Applicants wanted for Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program
• Communities, Conservation and Water Use
• Early Start for 'Transfers' from Hume Reservoir
• Soil conservation conference promises "positive Down-Under" experience

According to Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) President Mr Ian Sinclair AC, the CoAG meeting on 25 June endorsed the shared responsibility of Basin States for expenditure of the $500 million and with meeting water recovery targets for the River Murray over a five-year period.

Mr Sinclair said that the States and Commonwealth governments co-ordinated by the MDBC had been charged with "getting some runs on the board within the first three months of this decision". This will include the adoption by Council of an agreed "Business Plan" for implementation of the MDB Intergovernmental Agreement.

He said last weeks National Water Initiative announcement had cleared the way for expansion of water trade in the southern part of the Basin that would now allow for more effective water recovery.

"This decision means that water can now be efficiently recovered and managed for the environment with irrigators and Basin communities more confident about how their interests will be protected," Mr Sinclair said.

"The CoAG agreement confirms priority for achieving outcomes at the six ecological assets agreed by Ministerial Council last November. This is a great result for the environment," he said.

The Commonwealth and States also agreed to the co-ordinated management of water recovery for the River Murray through the MDBC Living Murray initiative and the "Water for Rivers" entity (formerly known as the Snowy Joint Government Enterprise).

For the CoAG Communique go to: www.mdbc.gov.au/news_room/media_release/CoAG_reaction.html

For The Living Murray initiative: www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au

For general MDBC information:www.mdbc.gov.au

Interviews are available with MDBC President Ian Sinclair and MDBC Acting Chief Executive David Dole by contacting Allison Hicks on phone (02) 62790129 (BH), Mobile 0407 704 609.

NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR MURRAY-DARLING BASIN COMMISSION
Dr Wendy Craik has been announced as the new Chief Executive for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC).

 Dr Craiks initial appointment is for five-years and will begin in August, MDBC President the Right Hon Ian Sinclair announced on 15 June.

 "Dr Craik is an outstanding candidate with strong management skills," Mr Sinclair said.

 Dr Craik would bring valuable skills and qualities to the position of leading the MDBC, particularly with her considerable expertise and experience in natural resource management and managing intergovernmental bodies, Mr Sinclair said.

 "I am looking forward to working with her in this unique and vital position," he said.

 Currently the President of the National Competition Council (NCC) and Chair of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), Dr Craik succeeds Mr Don Blackmore who retired as MDBC Chief Executive on March 29 this year.

 Since Mr Blackmore's retirement the MDBC's Deputy Chief Executive Mr Kevin Goss has acted in the position.

Dr Craik will continue as NCC President until she takes up the MDBC appointment in August. Dr Craik has given assurances that she will not be involved in NCC processes and decisions related to the functions of the MDBC and related water issues during the period until she takes up her new responsibilities, Mr Sinclair said.

For biographical notes and a photograph of Dr Craik: http://www/news_room/media_release/new-CE.html

For media inquiries contact Allison Hick on Phone: 02 62790129 BH Mobile (0407) 704609, allison.hicks@mdbc.gov.au

$11M SUSTAINABLE RIVER AUDIT CHECKS OUT BASIN RIVERS' HEALTH
Following a highly successful pilot in four rivers, a new $11 million six-year program to audit the health of the Murray-Darling Basin 's rivers and streams was announced on June 10 by Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) President Ian Sinclair.

The Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA) will collect data about the 23 river valleys of the Basin over an initial six-year period.

“The Audit will provide river managers and Basin communities with the first geographically comprehensive understanding of the health of the Basin's many rivers and streams and will do much to inform future public discussion about the changing state of our rivers,” Mr Sinclair AC said.

The Audit will use scientific indicators to determine the current status of river health. The initial indicators will focus on the health of fish and aquatic insect communities and will characterise major changes to the flow regimes of rivers in the Basin.

Other indicators will also be developed over the coming years to look at physical form of the river channel, and the health of the riparian vegetation and floodplains. Information gained from the audit will help determine priority areas for attention and protection.

According to MDBC's SRA Project Manager Jody Swirepik, the Audit will detect any ongoing large scale change to rivers rather than changes happening at a particular site or point in time.

“For the first time, it will provide us with a standard framework for comparing health information across rivers and times. While there are many ongoing programs by state or territory agencies investigating specific parts of the Basin's rivers, the Audit will provide the bigger Basin picture of our rivers' health,” Ms Swirepik said.

Data collected in the Audit would also be interpreted by a group of independent experts and then reported periodically to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council.

The Audit is likely to stimulate further investigations into the causes of poor river health and will provide the community with better information to inform debate about regional river management and planning.

Mr Sinclair said the Audit would also help implementation of current natural resource programs like the Native Fish Strategy.

For the full text of the media release, got http://www.medbc.gov.au

For background information go to http://www.mdbc.gov.au/news_room/media_release/SRA-bkg-notes.html

MDBC RIVER MURRAY DOCUMENTARY WINS HIGH TV RATINGS
An MDBC produced documentary portraying a sample of the diverse views people have of the River Murray and its tributaries gained high ratings over two weeks on the Nine Network in June.

With water issues at the top of Australian public debate, the two-part series was broadcast over consecutive Saturdays throughout Australia, gaining particularly high audiences in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

 "More Than a River" was financed by the partner governments of the Murray-Darling Basin as part of The Living Murray initiative and produced by well-known Melbourne film producer John McIntosh.

The documentary has host and famous former Australian Rules football player Dermott Brereton, taking a journey down Australias longest rivers, the Darling and the River Murray.

"By viewing this documentary we can listen to, and appreciate peoples stories based on their broad and differing opinions about all aspects of the river," according to Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) Acting Chief Executive Kevin Goss.

"This was a great opportunity to hear why the River Murray, in particular, is much more than a river to its communities," Mr Goss said.

"It plays a central part in the lives of many Australians. People depend on it for their food and water, culture, traditions, livelihood, leisure, as a natural landscape and a place of great beauty.

"The rivers' importance is reflected and portrayed in the lives and the stories of the people who live along them - the documentary allows us to discover their shared passion for what these rivers mean to them," Mr Goss said.

Following the broadcast, a DVD of the documentary was made widely available to schools, libraries, catchment management organisations and as a resource for Landcare and other learning activities across the Basin and beyond.

Copies of the DVD are available from Allison Hicks, MDBC Communication Unit,  Phone: 02 62790129 BH, Mobile (0407) 704609, Email: allison.hicks@mdbc.gov.au

For information about the Murray-Darling Basin Commission:www.mdbc.gov.au
For information about The Living Murray initiative: www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au

NEW COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE UP AND RUNNING
The first meeting of the fourth MDBC Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was held in Canberra on 11 June - following a four-day induction program to introduce the new Committee members to key issues in the southern Basin.

The induction included a tour of The Living Murray “Significant Ecological Assets” and meetings with irrigators in Deniliquin.

The CAC also met with chairs of the catchment management organisations from along the Murray River in Victoria , South Australia and NSW to discuss their role in developing management plans for The Living Murray “Significant Ecological Assets.”

At its first meeting, the new CAC developed a draft Business Plan to guide the CAC in undertaking its responsibilities over the next year. The CAC has a number of new responsibilities including a greater networking role with the community.

CAC members will attend a range of activities around the Basin to tell communities about the decisions of the Ministerial Council and to seek community views on natural resource management issues across the Basin and different stakeholder groups.

The CAC has started preparing for a joint meeting with the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council in October, where it will bring forward for discussion progress in implementing The Living Murray first step decision and the Council's Integrated Catchment Management Policy.

The CAC will hold its September meeting in the northern Basin providing members an opportunity to review natural resource management issues in this area.

For information contact Sue Vize on (02) 6279 0100

NEW MDBC TOOLKIT OFFERS IDEAS FOR BETTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Resolving conflict, making good long-term decisions or developing a process to solve a problem in natural resource management - all are addressed in "Towards Whole of Community Engagement  a Practical Toolkit" unveiled in Canberra today.

A toolkit offering community, government and industry ways to foster good practice engagement in the increasingly sensitive area of managing natural resources, was launched by Chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Councils Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Ms Leith Boully.

A group of people with a wide range of expertise and networks throughout the Basin, the CAC advises the Ministerial Council, from a community viewpoint, on critical natural resource management issues and has strongly supported the development of the toolkit.

Funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, the toolkit focuses on involving people for engagement so that robust long-term decisions can be made about a community's natural resources, according to Ms Boully.

"It is aimed at staff or volunteers from government, non-government, industry and private sector organisations in the Basin, catchment management organisations and other regional groups involved in natural resource management," she said.

"The toolkit comes at a crucial time when engaging with the community is becoming increasingly important in managing our natural resources".

Written by Bureau of Resource Sciences senior scientist Dr Heather Aslin and Australian National Universitys School of Resources, Environment and Society visiting fellow Professor Val Brown, the toolkit recognises that agreement between parties is not always possible.

Ms Boully said the toolkit would be distributed to members of the CAC, catchment management groups, Murray-Darling Basin Rural Leadership Program participants and other relevant organisations and individuals.

The toolkit was developed from reviews of previous work, interviews with Basin stakeholders and from observing events. A wide range of people attended a development workshop for the toolkit, including members of the Community Advisory Committee.

For a copy  phone MDBC on 02 6279 0141 or publications website: http://publications.mdbc.gov.au/

For further information contact Alison Reid on 02 6279 0121, Email: alison.reid@mdbc.gov.au

AGROFORESTRY BOOK SHORTLISTED FOR PUBLISHING AWARD
The Story of Agroforestry in Australia - a new addition to the Kondinin Group's Workboot Series for children - has been shortlisted for the 2004 Australian Publishers Association Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing.

The MDBC contributed to the production of the book as part of its ongoing commitment to the Joint Venture Agroforestry Program.

The book, written by Lisa Robins (MDBC Dryland Coordinator) and Jane Duckworth, introduces children to Australian farms where they can discover how farm forests are planted, managed, harvested and protected to produce a wide variety of products used every day.

The Joint Venture Agroforestry Program was established in 1993 and is jointly funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Land & Water Australia and Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporations, together with the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. The Grains R&D Corporation, the Australian Greenhouse Office and the Natural Heritage Trust also contribute to the program.

The winners of the Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing will be announced in Melbourne in early August.

The Workboot is available for sale at $24.50 retail (on the Kondinin website http://www.kondinin.com.au/bookshop/)  Copies will also be available from MDBC in August.

For more information contact Sheridan Lockerbie on (02) 6279 0100

MDBC SUBMISSION TO SALINITY SCIENCE PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY
The MDBC has urged a federal parliamentary committee to consider a number of ways to support a truly integrated catchment approach to salinity management over the next 5 to 10 years.

The suggestions are made in a written submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Science and Innovation's inquiry into the coordination of science to combat the nation's salinity problem.

In its submission, the MDBC says the following activities would benefit from science coordination:

• identifying the environmental, economic and social assets at risk from degrading catchment health so that action and investment can be prioritised and accurately targeted;
• benchmarking natural resource conditions and trends in condition to inform salinity target setting;
• predicting the environmental, economic and social impacts of planned actions;
• improving methods to support monitoring and evaluation;
• monitoring and evaluating the impacts of actions;
• embedding adaptive review mechanisms into science and program delivery; and
• actively engaging in partnerships to share knowledge.

"The most significant contribution that Australian Government could make to improving the managing and coordinating of the application of the best science in relation to Australia's salinity programs would be through its Programs and agreements (bilaterals etc), to develop efficient mechanisms to access this knowledge base."

The inquiry aims to examine the role of the Australian Government in managing and coordinating the application of the best science in Australia's salinity programs.

The complete MDBC submission can be read at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/scin/salinity/submissions/sub051.pdf

The report of the inquiry was released 21 June and is available at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/scin/salinity/report.htm
 

APPLICANTS WANTED FOR MURRAY-DARLING BASIN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Applications are now being sought for the third Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program which will begin in March 2005.

This is an opportunity for people with a passion for rural communities, a desire to develop new skills, work with others, and make a positive contribution to the future development of the Murray-Darling Basin region, to take up the challenge.

Participants will be involved for about 22 days over a six-month period, broken into three sessions with an additional five days to complete between session activities.

The program explores the concept of Integrated Catchment Management, the biophysical, social, economic, and cultural nature of the basin and the human dimension of natural resource management. Personal development topics will include leadership, values, ethics, change management, networking, strategic thinking, communication, negotiation and teamwork.

Selection is based on merit. "Quiet achievers" and more "visible personalities" who demonstrate the following qualities are encouraged to apply:

• commitment to the Murray-Darling Basin through their current and future  leadership roles; 
• understanding of the environment, social, economic and governance issues  facing the Basin; 
• willingness to take a strategic approach to these challenges; and 
• capacity to build networks and share learning with others.

For more information and application forms please visit www.rural-leaders.com.au

COMMUNITIES, CONSERVATION AND WATER USE
The opportunities, responsibilities and other issues of water use will be the focus of the first in a new series of conferences organised by the Bureau of Rural Sciences.

The conference, to be held at Barham, NSW along the Murray July 14 to 16, will explore the importance of secure water for urban use, guaranteed water for the environment, and reliable water for land producers.

Organisers say a line-up of top speakers will explore why appropriate land use and development must be commensurate with land capability and suitability assessment, consistent with balanced water use.

A  field trip to view these issues at first hand will set the stage for the conference.

Speakers include:

• Dr Ted Hilman (Wetland Benchmarking); 
• Anne Graesser (Wetland Management and Societal Connection) Roger Griffiths (The role of Local Government in Rural Land Use and development); 
• Alex Marshall  (Partnerships between Conservation and Irrigation) Merrill Boyd (Sustainable Irrigation & Land Use = Sustainable Communities); and 
• Neil Barr (Social change Implication for Rural Communities). 

For program inquiries contact Bob Rau, 0427 024 620, bobrau1@bigpond.com or Ron Hodges, (03) 9802 4859, rghodges@netlink.com.au
 

EARLY START FOR 'TRANSFERS' FROM HUME RESERVOIR
Transfer of water from Hume Reservoir to Lake Victoria is being increased unusually early this year to achieve a balance in stored water between upper Murray and lower Murray storages throughout the 2004/05 irrigation season.

River Murray Water (RMW) General Manager, David Dreverman, announced on 18 June 2004  that Lake Victoria's storage level was very low, following drawdown to meet last season's requirements.

He said tributary inflows to the River Murray had remained very low in recent months, that no Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) storage was available in Menindee Lakes, and that substantial inflow to Menindee would be required to make water available to the MDBC.

"Of the MDBCs current active storage, 85 per cent is held in Dartmouth Reservoir, 10 per cent in Hume Reservoir, and about 5 per cent in Lake Victoria", Mr Dreverman said.

"Transfer to Lake Victoria is required to meet the requirements of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales throughout the 2004/05 season, if dry conditions continue."

Mr Dreverman said there was a reasonable chance (about 40%) that tributary inflows over the next few months would be enough to help fill Lake Victoria.

Under wetter conditions the transfers would be reduced to conserve water in upper storages. However, if conditions remained dry, particularly in tributaries downstream of Hume, transfer of water would need to continue until late in the 2004/05 season.

To read the complete statement go to:
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/news_room/media_release/Transfer_to_Lake_Victoria_17_June_2004.pdf

For more information contact: Allison Hicks, Media Relations  Communication.  Phone: 02 6279 0129 E-mail: allison.hicks@mdbc.gov.au

SOIL CONFERENCE PROMISES "POSITIVE DOWN-UNDER" EXPERIENCE
This year's 13th International Soil Conservation Organization Conference to be held in Brisbane 4-8 July, promises a "positive Down-Under" experience in sharing solutions and knowledge.

According to organisers the Australian Soil Science Society Inc. (ASSSI) and the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) the conference's soil and water conservation discussions will help meet society's needs in soil and water conservation.

Participants will share information, knowledge and experience on the conservation of soil and water resources across ecosystems and cultures, in agricultural, built and natural environments, over time and space.

To effectively share this knowledge organisers say the conference needs solutions to create learning and sharing environments to make science work for people and improve communication. It also wants strategies that operate across social, environmental and political boundaries, empower people and communities.

For more information go to www.iscohome.org
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