Submitted by Steve Irons on Wed, 27/02/2013 - 10:06pm
In his latest media release(1), the Chair of the MDBA, Craig Knowles made a strong commitment to 'localism' and indicates that this is way of the future for the Murray Darling Basin. On 20 December 2012 (2) he declared himself "dismayed" at plans for the South Australian State government to cut its contribution. "This move by SA follows the NSW government decision in June to slash $20 million from this year's contribution to the delivery of joint programs and a further $3m cut next year, which equates to a 73.45 percent cut. Clearly this is not sustainable."
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"In the event the other Basin states follow suit, the joint program budget will be reduced to about $27 million by 2014-15, down from this year's allocation of $110 million. I am very concerned that this level of funding will be insufficient to cover even basic river operations, such as water delivery to irrigators, and insufficient to adequately maintain $2.5 billion worth of river assets, such as dams, weirs and locks, including Hume and Dartmouth dams and the South Australian barrages. It will also mean there will be no funding for any natural resource programs in the Basin." (See (2))
The first step for localism is to work out the 'Windsor rules': "Tony Windsor’s(3) parliamentary inquiry had a look at this — and his recommendation number one suggested there were potential major savings if we look at the rules that currently manage the water among the among the states and across the basin."
"Now I don’t know how big those savings are; you won’t know until the rules review has taken place. But what the states tell me, or the water people in the states, is we could expect — if it’s done properly — is that there are hundreds — is the phrase they typically use — of gigalitres potential improvement in efficiency just by revisiting the rule book." Mr. Knowles said.
"... there is an incentive for everyone, including the states, to participate in this process and make sure the rule book for the 21st century is a better rule book than the one for the 20th century. And everyone says that. It was a very common theme in the submissions to the Guide, it was a very common theme in the submissions to the Windsor Inquiry; and that’s why I call it the Tony Windsor rules review. I wished I had said it, but he said it first; and good on him; but I think I have an obligation to incorporate it.
In the FOWTOR Model, Mr. Knowles' "Basin States" are united into a common State called 'Menindee' http://www.bloggerme.com.au/states/menindee
The Menindee State is divided into 5 sub-states based on their major river systems. Their capital is Adelaide. Each sub-state also has a capital. The State has two Senators, and each sub-state has one Senator. This model means that the Murray-Darling Basin will be properly represented in Parliament for the first time in history by seven Senators, and their focus on the Basin is complete.
(1) http://www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/transcript 22 February 2013
(2) http://www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/media_releases/Statement-from-MDBA-C... 20 December 2012
(3) http://www.tonywindsor.com.au/releases/110623.pdf 23 June 2011
Other MDBA media releases http://www.mdba.gov.au/media_centre/media_releases
https://twitter.com/MD_Basin_Auth
Comments
Steve Irons
Thu, 23/05/2013 - 5:04am
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Circles
https://plus.google.com/circles/bloggerme-p718ada198cd04337
Steve Irons
Thu, 04/04/2013 - 1:01am
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Victoria rejects moves by other states
"Victoria has rejected moves by other states to cut contributions to environmental and maintenance programs for the Murray-Darling, and will tip in its full share for next year in the state budget."
Tom Arup: The Age
Steve Irons
Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:51am
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Murray Darling Basin
"I welcome yesterday’s announcement that the Victorian government will continue to contribute to the Murray Darling Basin Authority. Recent cuts by the New South Wales and South Australian governments have already had an impact on research capacity in the region.
"The future of the environment in the Murray Darling Basin will be at risk if it is driven by politics alone. We need evidence and sound scientific analysis to ensure that the decisions we are making are responsive to the needs of society and the environment."
Susan Lawler Head of Department, Department of Environmental Management & Ecology at La Trobe University in The Conversation 31 March 2013, 11.45am AEST
Read more http://theconversation.com/who-will-tell-us-if-environmental-programs-in...
Steve Irons
Tue, 26/03/2013 - 4:52am
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Shed A Tier
"The Murray Darling system ...: four states, and four different water acts, four different this, that and the other - hopeless, absolutely hopeless.
"Even though there has been some movement on cross-border issues, the big issues are still dominated by this protectionism of the states.
"It doesn't matter who they are - whether they're Labor or Liberal or whatever - they impose on their particular area.
"So you could construct a regionally based domestic government, in a sense, in the framework of a large national government that was only responsible for those things which did have the national implications. In my view there are some things that the national government is currently involved in which they shouldn't be involved in as well, but they have to be the key player in most or all of those national resource and trade related ... and obviously international events."
Speech by Mr Tony Windsor (Independent Federal MP for New England) 5th Shed A Tier Congress Canberra, 28 June 2002
http://www.beyondfederation.org.au/TonyWindsor_5thSATC.html
Steve Irons
Fri, 08/03/2013 - 11:56am
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Murray-Darling scientific centre hit by funding cuts
The impact of the State governments' huge cuts to the Murray-Darling basin were seen dramatically in the Sydney Morning Herald, yesterday:
"The key scientific centre studying the environmental health of the Murray-Darling is preparing to slash staff and research after state government budget cuts to the authority overseeing the river.
"The chairman of the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Professor John Langford,
and Professor John Dewar, the Vice-Chancellor of Latrobe University where the centre is hosted,
have written to state and federal water ministers urging a quick resolution to the budget uncertainty."
"The centre's main source of funding is the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, which is facing significant budget cuts from state governments. As cuts hit the authority it will significantly reduce its contribution to the centre, leaving it with a 80 per cent – or $3 million – annual funding shortfall..."
"These budget cuts and consequent destruction of scientific capacity are coming at the time when access to independent science is fundamental to achieving cost effective outcomes from the billions [of dollars] currently being invested in water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin," the letter says.
Tom Arup, SMH March 8, 2013 - 12:09 AM
Jane Goodall
Thu, 28/02/2013 - 3:06pm
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Localism
It's good to get this term upfront in discussion of major regional and environmental issues. Readers may be interested in a panel event that took place last year in Canberra, bringing together speakers with significant experience in local and regional negotiation.
ANZSIG Event: 'Solving Challenges in Regional Australia: Can Localism work?'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2JASm7AQv4
​After listening to it, though, I remain concerned that in Australia we are really at square one in our thinking about localism. It is not just a substitute term for 'community consultation'. In the Uk and Europe, there are sophisticated research projects exploring how a local population can take on a significant role in the management, planning and design of environmental infrastructure, so it's no longer a matter of outsider 'experts' vs stakeholder 'community'. It's about designing new structures of responsibility and expertise.
Editor
Sat, 02/03/2013 - 1:03pm
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Recent publication on Localism
by Jane Goodall: http://inside.org.au/the-humility-of-local-consciousness/
Steve Irons
Thu, 28/02/2013 - 1:49pm
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My comment on Reddit
[–]steveirons[S] 1 point 60 milliseconds ago
Why are Craig Knowles' comments so in keeping with the FOWTOR Model? This is because the Murray-Darling Basin Authority MDBA has been set up to control a FOWTOR region in the true sense of the word. The first FOWTOR region to come into existence in the history of Australia. http://www.bloggerme.com.au/states/menindee
Steve Irons
Thu, 28/02/2013 - 12:57pm
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State funding cuts to slash Murray-Darling work
State funding cuts to slash Murray-Darling work by steveirons in localism
[–]steveirons[S] 1 point 5 hours ago
A good article but misses the point of the release. The frustrata recognised in Craig Knowles' news release in December is being replaced by localism. He is sick of the States and knows that they are going to kill Australia's main food bowl if left to their own devices. See http://www.bloggerme.com.au/basin-states-need-be-replaced-localism-craig-knowles-0
Steve Irons
Thu, 28/02/2013 - 8:27am
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My comment in Reddit
[–]steveirons[S] 1 point ago
This is an important moment for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority MDBA and for Australia generally: the head of the MDBA Craig Knowles has come out and placed localism clearly on the agenda for the future of the major food bowl. This article in BloggerMe offers Mr. Knowles the FOWTOR Model. In this model, Mr. Knowles' "Basin States" are united into a common State called 'Menindee' http://www.bloggerme.com.au/states/menindee
The Menindee State is divided into 5 sub-states based on their major river systems. Their capital is Adelaide. Each sub-state also has a capital. The State has two Senators, and each sub-state has one Senator. This model means that the Murray-Darling Basin will be properly represented in Parliament for the first time in history by seven Senators, and their focus on the Basin is complete.
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