Murray-Darling Basin Commission – November 2004 E-letter No 36

Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin monthly e-letter with reports of happenings across the Basin.

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(See also The Living Murray website at http://www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au)

In this issue:

1. New MDBC website reveals science behind the Living Murray
2. New MDBC reports scope social impact on Murray communities
3. MDBC to study S-E Australia climate change
4. Murray Mouth sand pumping project wins award
5. Locks 10 and 26 win Senator Collings Trophy for 2003-04
6. Nominations now open for the 2004 McKell Medal
7. Research funds for capacity building in rural industries
8. Desert Knowledge PhD funding offered
9. Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities 2004
10. Waterwatch conference calls for speakers

MFAT, or the Murray Flow Assessment Tool, relates river flow to potential habitat condition for river and floodplain environments. It was designed to help governments and communities make informed decisions on environmental flows for the River Murray system.

‘Inside MFAT' is a website specifically designed to provide the public with a window into much of the scientific information and selected MFAT results that were part of the Interim Report of the Scientific Reference Panel released in October 2003.

The MFAT tool provides an assessment of the potential condition of habitat for native fish, waterbirds, floodplain and wetland vegetation for any given flow pattern. It can also provide an assessment of the potential risk of blue-green algal blooms.

“MFAT allows us to obtain consistent and repeatable assessments of the impact of different flow volumes and management on habitat condition. It uses the best scientific information available and, importantly, documents the source and confidence in that scientific information,” according to Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) Chief Executive Wendy Craik.

“The Inside MFAT website is innovative and user-friendly and provides another mechanism for communities and environmental managers to access the ecological knowledge of over 60 scientists who informed the Living Murray process. The website will be a tremendous resource and will assist with the development of environmental watering strategies in the future,” Dr Craik said.

Inside MFAT is located at:  www.mdbc.gov.au/livingmurray/mfat
For information about The Living Murray:   www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au
For general MDBC information: www.mdbc.gov.au
For media inquiries contact Allison Hicks, Phone: 02 62790129 BH, Mobile (0407) 704609, Email: allison.hicks@mdbc.gov.au

New MDBC reports scope social impact on Murray communities
Reports that scope the types of social impacts on River Murray communities prepared prior to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council's Living Murray First Step decision in November 2003 have now been released.

”The First Step decision provides the framework under which $500m will be invested by the governments of Australia, South Australia, NSW, Victoria and the ACT, within five-years in order to begin addressing water over-allocation and achieve specific environmental outcomes in the Murray-Darling Basin,” according to Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) Chief Executive Wendy Craik.

Dr Craik said while the reports had helped to inform discussion, the assumptions on which they were based had since been overtaken by Council's First Step decision and the Council of Australian Governments' National Water Initiative.

She said these assumptions were originally made to enable the social impact assessment scoping and profiling studies to be undertaken in mid 2003 and while reasonable at the time, now form part of the historical documentation underpinning the Living Murray First Step decision and would remain a valuable set of base data to inform further work.

The first priority for this investment will be water recovery for six significant ecological assets: the Barmah-Millewa Forest, Gunbower and Koondrook-Perricoota Forests, Hattah Lakes, Chowilla floodplain including the Lindsay-Wallpolla system, the Murray Mouth, Coorong and Lower Lakes, and the River Murray Channel.

Dr Craik said Council decided water will come from a matrix of options with a priority for on-farm initiatives, efficiency gains, infrastructure improvements and rationalisation, and market based approaches, and purchase of water from willing sellers, rather than by way of compulsory acquisition.

The Living Murray social impact assessment reports are:

• Scoping Study: Social Impact Assessment of Possible Increased Environmental Flow Allocations to the River Murray System (August 2003);
• Profiling Study: Social Impact Assessment of Possible Increased Environmental Flow Allocations to the River Murray System (August 2003);
• Development of a framework for social impact assessment in the Living Murray: Water recovery in the Murray Irrigation Area of NSW (November 2003); and
• A factsheet: Summary of social impact assessment studies in the Living Murray to November 2003.

MDBC to study S-E Australia climate change
The MDBC is to undertake climate change research in the South-East Murray-Darling Basin, Chief Executive Dr Wendy Craik announces in the next issue of “Landcare” magazine” due out in December.

Dr Craik  says the research - known as the “South-East Australia Climate Project” - will be conducted in collaboration with the Managing Climate Variability Program (MCV), the Department of Sustainability and the Environment –Victoria (DSE) and the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO).

The MDBC is interested in Basin-wide climate change research and is currently exploring options to cover the northern Basin.

The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council recently identified climate change as one of the six risk factors which could threaten the long-term water supply (quantity and quality) security in the Basin. The others were reforestation, increase in groundwater use, farm dams, bushfires and reduction in return flows from irrigation,

MDBC's interest is in the assessment of impacts of those risk factors on water resources quantity and quality.

The proposed project will revolve around three themes, each with key questions and outputs, focusing on current climate and its drivers, as well as short-term and long-term projections. The themes include: characterisation and attribution of current climate; high resolution climate projections; and seasonal forecasts.

Dr Craik says climate change is likely to have significant adverse impacts on: water supply and hydrology; natural ecosystems; agriculture and forestry; ocean productivity and fisheries, settlement and built environments; human health and the national economy.

“Out of these, water supply and hydrology and natural ecosystems are of direct relevance to the business of the MDBC. Good governance and leadership should include us looking at potential long-term risks of which climate change is one.”

Mitigation and adaptation are two complementary pathways of policy response to climate change. However, as mitigation involves reduction in greenhouse gases, it is not within the bounds of MDBC core business.

“Through its partner governments the MDBC must formulate policies and propose measures to adapt to climate change. The key to development of any successful adaptation strategy is knowledge gathering, hence the recently formed research funding partnership,” she said.

For more information checkout the Landcare website at http://www.ruralpress.com/publications/detail.asp?publication_id=129
For media inquiries contact Allison Hicks, Phone: 02 62790129 BH, Mobile (0407) 704609, Email: allison.hicks@mdbc.gov.au
 

Murray Mouth sand pumping project wins award
The South Australian Branch of the Australian Water Association recently recognised the work being undertaken for dredging of the Murray Mouth.

The project proponents SA Water, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission jointly received an award for 2004 under the category “Water Environment and Society”.

This is the second award this year for this project which had earlier received a Case Earth Award from the South Australian division of the Civil Contractors Federation for projects demonstrating environmental excellence in the project value $2m – $10m.

That award was made jointly to the project proponents and to the contractor Maritime Constructions Pty Ltd.

For more information contact David Dreverman on 02 6279 0100
 

Locks 10 and 26 win Senator Collings Trophy for 2003-04
The coveted Senator Collings Trophy for 2003-04 has been awarded jointly to the lock managers and their staff at Locks 10 and  26.

The trophy has been presented annually since 1943 to recognise outstanding performance in maintaining the various assets which regulate the waters of the River Murray System.

This is only the second time that an award has been made jointly and the first time that the award has been shared between assets from different states.

The winners this year were:

• Norm Boyd, Danny Burke and Jeff Finch at Lock 10 – Wentworth (State Water, NSW)
• Terry Holt, Alan Williams at Lock 26 – Torrumbarry (Goulburn-Murray Water)

Mr Sinclair commended not only the winners, but the staff at all assets of the River Murray System for their commitment to effective maintenance of the assets under their care and the pride they demonstrate in what they are doing.

He said the joint award reflected the very high standard being achieved by the leading contenders along the length of the River Murray.

Members of the public are welcome to visit MDBC assets from Dartmouth Dam in north-east Victoria to Goolwa Barrage near the Murray Mouth, in South Australia.

At all assets accessible to the public there are public amenities, including picnic areas and public information displays. These facilities allow visitors to gain an insight into how the River Murray is operated.

For more information go the website at http://www.mdbc.gov.au/river_murray/river_murray.htm

Nominations now open for the 2004 McKell Medal
Nominations have opened for the 2003 McKell Medal, a national award that recognises excellence in natural resource management and also honours the achievements of a great Australian.

This prestigious award is open to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to improve natural resource management in Australia through on-farm action, scientific research or community involvement.

Sponsored by all Australian governments, the medal commemorates the outstanding contribution made in the area of soil and land conservation by Sir William McKell, a former Premier of NSW (1941-47), and Governor-General of Australia (1947-53).

People can nominate themselves, a deserving colleague or anyone who has made a significant contribution to better managing natural resources in this country. Nominees should, however, still be working in their chosen field and, if they win, be able to use the award to promote the ethic of sound natural resource management.
Past winners of the McKell Medal have been pre-eminent practitioners within natural resource management in Australia.

The selection criteria for the Medal include:

• Nominee must demonstrate self-motivation and preferably still be practicing in this field;
• Recognised achievements would relate particularly to changing landuse practices and community attitudes towards more sustainable management of natural resources; and
• The nominee should be able, through receiving the award, to promote the ethic of sound natural resource management.

For more information and the selection criteria visit www.daff.gov.au/McKellmedal or email McKellmedal@daff.gov.au or (02) 6272 4399.

Research funds for capacity building in rural industries
The Cooperative Venture for Capacity Building (CVCB) is inviting industry organisations, companies and research agencies to submit preliminary research proposals for R&D support in 2005-06 to 2006-07.

Proposals will be assessed against the CVBC's four key result areas and the general assessment criteria. Key result areas are:

1. What works and why? Work in this area should identify current “good practice” in capacity building in Australian rural industries to assist in the design and delivery of learning activities.
2. Fostering involvement. Work in this area should be focused on improving understanding of non participation in capacity building activities and what is needed to involve current non participants from the farming community as well as enhancing participation.
3. Optimising institutional arrangements. Projects should examine promotion of capacity building and facilitation of debate through government, industry and community groups to inform responses to new and changing environments and enhance learning and practice.
4. Professional support for rural educators. Research in this key result area should focus on enhancing the capacity of rural extension education providers to deliver and enable effective capacity building activities.

• research and development projects
• scoping studies (the CVCB welcomes scoping studies as a means of determining whether the research area or issue warrants subsequent funding by the CVCB and industries.
• communication and knowledge exchange
• provision of expert consultancy services in response to specific requirements of the CVCB

Desert Knowledge PhD funding offered
The Desert Cooperative Research Centre (DK-CRC) is offering top-up funding for PhD and Masters (research) candidates to work on cutting-edge issues in desert science and livelihoods for desert people.

The scholarships are offered through DK-CRC partner organisations, starting from early in 2005.

The scholarships are aimed at researchers doing fieldwork in deserts and remote communities, community development, social science, NRM, geography or economics and/or work experience in remote areas or with marginalised communities?

Projects include:

• NRM management in outback SA (University of SA);
• Bush produce enterprises for Indigenous communities (University of SA);
• Viability of remote communities (Centre for Appropriate Technology, any DK-CRC partner university);
• New grazing systems (Curtin University, CMAE Kalgoorlie);
• Rangeland restoration ecology (Curtin University, CMAE Kalgoorlie);
• Sparse ad-hoc networks (University of Wollongong);
• Infrastructure lifecycles (Southern Cross University);
• Socio-economic analysis of community livelihoods (Curtin University); and
• Ecological and cultural services - Indigenous owned lands (Charles Darwin University, NT Research & Innovation Scholarships).

Most scholarships close October 29.

For more information contact DK-CRC Education Coordinator Alicia Boyle, at alicia.boyle@cdu.edu.au, phone 08 8946-7267, mobile 0408-175-832.

Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities 2004
Innovative and collaborative waterway and landscape research projects underway in the Goulburn Broken Catchment - That's the theme of a free, two-day conference to be held at the University of Melbourne on  December 9 and 10.

The conference will also encourage participants to brainstorm the implications of water reform with researchers, landholders and decision makers.

The event, which takes place at the university's Dookie Campus in Victoria Follows the success of last year's River and Catchment Health Research Day.

The conference this year is organised by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA) and the University of Melbourne's new Centre for Water and Landscape Management (CWLM) invite you to attend Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities 2004.

Organisers say highlights of the conference will include:

• Community and research focus;
• Key note research presentations;
• Panel discussion on water reform (including the Water White Paper);
• Launch of the CWLM research database;
• Conference dinner; and
• Environmental and agricultural tours of Dookie Campus.

Waterwatch conference calls for speakers
Organisers of the 4th National Waterwatch Conference are calling for abstracts.

With the theme “Navigating the Rapids” the conference will be held at the historic University of Melbourne in the Economics and Commerce Building, Parkville campus February 7-10, 2005.

Organisers are calling on researchers to join in the challenge of "Navigating the Rapids" as community water monitoring and Waterwatch networks across Australia integrate into the regional NRM framework to achieve sustainable water management.

The Waterwatch Conference is an overarching event for everyone across Australia who is managing, coordinating, facilitating and/or undertaking community water monitoring, on-ground river health actions or water and river health education and awareness raising activities.

The conference aims to provide a forum to promote and advance community
involvement in sustainable water management by:

• Encouraging locally driven catchment health initiatives;
• Providing a networking opportunity to share knowledge, experience and innovative ideas; and
• Enhancing the capacity of managers, coordinators and the community to promote and support community involvement in sustainable water management.

For more information, go to http://www.waterwatch.org.au/conference.html  phone 03 9412 4726 or email jane.f.ryan@dse.vic.gov.au

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