ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolving stakeholder participation in the Murray–Darling River Basin in Australia. The Murray–Darling river basin covers five states and territory governments of Australia that are collectively responsible for managing its water resources. As far back as 1917, a River Murray Commission had been established, but under the then River Murray Waters Agreement, which did not include Queensland despite the state covering about a quarter of the basin, the Commission’s role was as an advisory body with no authority for the enforcement of its proposals. At the beginning, the Commission was only concerned with water quantity, until salinity became a problem. This led to minor reforms in 1982 in which water quality became part of the Commission’s responsibilities. However, it was soon recognized that a new organizational structure which considered the national perspective was needed for effective management. In October 2010, the new Murray –Darling Basin Authority released a draft plan to secure the long-term ecological health of the river basin. This entailed cutting existing water allocations and increasing environmental flows. It is the first part of a three-stage process to address the problems of the Basin. This chapter examines the history of use of the river basin, the debates over this use, the concerns expressed and the overall requirements of the river basin if it is to remain healthy. Although the MDBP is a positive step towards sustainability, the measures retain a significant risk of human activities exacerbating the drought risks prevalent across Australia, and continue to suggest that the real solution may be found in providing other sources of water for the major users through desalination or more inter-basin transfers as outlined by Dr Mckenzie in Chapter 3.
Malcolm Cooper PhD is Emeritus Professor in the Tourism and Hospitality Cluster at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan.
