Project Boards and Committees of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission

The Commission is advised by a range of project boards and committees.

Commission Project Boards

Project Boards usually comprise Commissioners or Deputy Commissioners, with members of the Community Advisory Committee sitting on some boards. The boards oversee projects contributing to key strategic directions of the Initiative and answer directly to the Commission.

Project Boards are currently set up to oversee the following strategic projects:

  • Basin Salinity Management Strategy
  • The Living Murray
  • Sustainable Rivers Audit
  • Interstate Water Trading
  • Indigenous Action Plan

Commission Committees

The Commission's committees contain experts in the various aspects of natural resources management and other areas for which the Commission is responsible. Most committees include representatives from departments or agencies of each partner government and from the Community Advisory Committee. Some also contain experts drawn from universities, private companies and community organizations. In this way, the Commission brings together the best expertise available for the integrated planning and management of the Murray-Darling Basin's natural resources.

Four committees advise the Commission directly on natural resources management, River Murray Water business, and finances:

Natural Resources Management

  • Water Policy Committee: provides policy advice on water issues, including implementation of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) water reform agenda, the cap on growth in water diversions, water quantity, allocation and sharing, and interstate water trading.

  • Integrated Catchment Management Policy Committee :  provide policy advice and the natural resourse management goals and strategies of the ICM policy .
            See also MDBC Policies and Strategies.

River Murray Water Business

  • River Murray Water Advisory Board: provides advice for developing and operating a more commercially focussed water business that will lead to improved operating efficiencies and will ensure effective long-term management of major infrastructure and of the River Murray. The Board is structured to enable the Commission to be directly involved in the continued operation of River Murray Water as a 'ring-fenced' internal business unit.

Finances

  • Finance Committee: advises on budgetary and other financial issues.
  • Audit Committee

The following working groups and other bodies provide advice to both the high-level committees and to project boards:

  • Asset Management Advisory Panel (AMAP)
  • Basin Salinity Management Strategy Implementation Working Group
  • Basin Irrigation & Salinity Mapping Working Group
  • Community Reference Panel For Environmental Flow
  • Integrated Catchment Management Program Knowledge Committee
  • Native Fish Strategy Community Stakeholder Taskforce
  • Native Fish Strategy Implementation Working Group 
  • Native Fish  Strategy Fish Passage Taskforce
  • Native Fish  Strategy Murray cod Taskforce  
  • Groundwater Technical Reference Group
  • Hume Dartmouth Technical Review Committee
  • Hume to Yarrawonga Waterway Advisory Group
  • High Level Working Group on Salt Interception Schemes
  • Operations and Maintenance Working Group
  • Landscape & Industry Unit Program Knowledge Committee
  • Sustainable River Audit Taskforce
  • The Living Murray Implementation Working Group
  • Rivers Program Knowledge Committee
  • Water Audit Working Group
  • Water Liaison Committee