Basin Community Committee Meeting Summary 27 June 2011

BasinCommunityCommitteeMeetingSummary

27June2011

TheBasinCommunityCommittee (BCC)heldits18thmeeting in Canberra,ACTon27June2011.

BCCmeeting

Meeting18oftheBCCwasmovedforwardfrom12-13July to 27JunetoprovidememberswiththeopportunitytohearfromtheMDBAabout recentdevelopmentstotheproposed BasinPlan.Themeetingscheduledfor12-13Julywillgoaheadtoaddressregularbusiness andhaveabriefingfromtheMDBAonthe science under-pinningtheproposed BasinPlan,andhowsocialandeconomicpolicyconsiderationshavebeenincorporated.

TheMDBAChair, CraigKnowles,andtheMDBAChiefExecutive,RhonddaDickson,provided theBCC with anupdateonthedevelopment oftheproposedBasin Plan.

Therewasdiscussionabouttimelines,specificallytheprocessforchangebefore2019and theneedforabalancedfigurefromwhichtomoveforward.Itwasnotedthatalthoughthescience willcontinuedeveloping, thestartingnumbersneedtobebasedonthebestavailablescience andcommunitymembersare encouragedtoengagewith theprocessof interrogatingthisbasis.The levelof inputfromlocal communitiesintotheinitialfigure was discussed.

TheChairhas beenmeetingwithcommunitiesacrossthe Basin,includingregionalcentres suchas Renmark,St George, GriffithandMildura.TheBCCChair,Joan Burns,has accompaniedtheMDBAChair tomostofthesemeetings.TheMDBAChairreported on meetingswithlocal communitygroupsandhowsuch meetingsarecontributingtothedevelopment oflocalismin theirareas.Heidentifiedthefactorsthatmadethesemeetings asuccess,suchasmeetingface-to-face,findingcommongroundamong stakeholderswith differentinterests,givingrecognitiontoallpointsof view andensuringthat theprocessis locallydriven.

TheChairnotedthe outcomes oftherecent meeting ofNBAN andMLDRINatOld Parliament House,includingtheestablishmentofcommon groundandtherelationshipof theNSWAboriginalLandCounciltothesetwogroups.

TheChairnotedtheimportance ofon-going dialoguewith other Commonwealth agencies and stategovernments,especiallywherethereisintersection withgovernmentprogramsinvolvingfunding forinfrastructureandwaterbuybacks.Criticalhumanwaterneeds werealsodiscussed,includingprotectionforthese supplies.

Thepurposeand structure of thePlainEnglishSummarywasdiscussed.The BCCrequestedthatthepurpose ofthispublicationbe clearlystatedtoensurethatitisread correctly.

TheBCCsupported theproductionofmorecommunicationsmaterialssuitableforgeneral audiences.TheBCCacknowledgedthattheinformationneedsofdifferent stakeholders wouldvary intermsoftechnicaldetailandregional specificity.

Therewasdiscussion abouttheuseofbestavailable science.The BasinPlan isthestarting point (basedonthebestavailable scienceatthetimeofrelease) foraprocessofadaptivemanagement.Datacollectedthroughongoingandtransparentmonitoringandevaluation willcontinuetoinformtheBasinPlanovertime.Itwasacknowledged thatitisimportantforcommunitiestobeabletointerrogatethesciencebehindelementsofthe BasinPlan,including SDLs.

BCCmembers questioned howtheBasinPlanwouldberegulated.It wasexplainedthatSDLs willbe setintheBasin Plan andwillberegulatedthroughstateWaterResourcePlans,with theCommonwealthtaking100%ofriskallocation.

TherewasdiscussionabouttheWindsorinquiry,particularlytherecommendationsthatcan beimplementedbytheMDBA.Whilemany oftherecommendationscontainedinthe report wereconsideredtobebeyondtheremitofthe MDBA,themanagementof environmental water wasthoughttobethemainthemefortheAuthority,as wellasaneed toworkcloselywithothergovernmentagenciestoimplementtheother recommendations.

MDBAengagementofficersupdatedtheBCConengagementactivities.Thelogisticsof disseminatinginformationabouttheproposed BasinPlantocommunitieswerediscussed.

Suggestionsweremadeforpotentialactivitiesduringtheformalconsultationperiod.TheBCCadvisedthatthetown-hall-stylemeetingsusedduringthereleaseofthe Guidewerenoteffectiveinmeetingcommunities' information needs.Meetingswithsmallergroupsarepreferred sothattherecan bemoreeffectivedialogueaboutthe proposed BasinPlan.

ThenextBCCmeetingisscheduledfor12-13JulyinCanberra,ACT.

BCCcontactdetails:

Telephone(02)

WebsiteTwitter

Foracopy oftheWaterAct,please visitthe Commonwealthof AustraliaLawwebsite: