THE Ricegrowers Association of Australia (RGA) has called for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to be moved out of Canberra and into the areas where its decisions are felt the most.
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The RGA wants both major political parties to commit to moving MDBA functions out of Canberra if they win the upcoming federal election.
Leeton Shire Council mayor Paul Maytom said he wasn’t qualified to say whether or not that would be a good idea. He said the authority had many links with towns already, including through the Basin Community Committee.
The Commonwealth Water Holder also has a staff member on the ground in Leeton that engages with the community to see what the issues are when it comes to water and the environment.
“These are two of the conduits in place,” councillor Maytom said.
“I think there is always room for improvement when it comes to communication.
“If it’s found that having more representatives from the MDBA in areas like Leeton would be beneficial, then I agree it should be looked at. What’s important is we all work together.”
However, RGA president Jeremy Morton said the current decentralisation agenda should focus on the MDBA.
“We’ve seen a number of government agencies slated for relocation out of Canberra over the last year, including three research and development corporations,” he said.
“The glaring omission in these discussions is the MDBA. What benefit is there for keeping the MDBA in Canberra?
“River operations occur elsewhere, monitoring and evaluation costs and benefits of water reform is done across the basin landscape, and the people affected by the MDBA’s implementation of the Basin Plan live in rural areas.”
Mr Morton said there was a “well identified” cultural problem within the MDBA that was preventing constructive dialogue with irrigators.
Should the government, when elected on July 2, decide to move the MDBA, Cr Maytom did put forward the Yanco Agricultural Institute as a location for it to operate from.