A report by the productivity commission raised several questions over timelines and called for the separation of the MDBA into two authorities – the existing authority to take charge of the plan’s implementation and a separate Basin Plan regulator. 

According to a statement put out by the commission some of the timelines set out for the plan’s implementation are “unrealistic and that institutional and governance arrangements are deficient”. 

The commission’s April meeting in Griffith was attended by representatives from across the MIA, including Leeton, Griffith and Carrathool shires. 

Associate Commissioner for water John Madden called for state governments to drive implementation across the basin, not just their own states. 

"Current institutional arrangements for implementing the Plan do not give the Commission confidence that the significant risks ahead will be well managed,” he said. 

Basin Governments need to collectively take charge and deliver on implementation of the Plan for the benefit of the Basin as a whole, not just to their own patch. This needs to be accompanied by reform of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to create a separate Basin Plan regulator."

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NSW Farmers’ Griffith branch president Helen Dalton – who is also a Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party candidate – was in support of setting up a regulator. 

“I think the setting up of the national regulator may be of some help … We should have an objective, national one,” Mrs Dalton said. 

She remained critical of the MDBA’s proposal to take 450 gigalitres of upwater, so long as there are no negative socioeconomic impacts. 

“The 450 upwater is clearly going to put some of our agricultural production at risk. Dairy and rice are highly vulnerable. If they take that, the price of water will increase.” 

National Irrigator’s Council’s CEO Steve Whan “cautiously welcomed” recommendations about upwater recovery through efficiency projects. 

“We also cautiously welcome the recommendations relating to the 450GL of so called ‘up-water’ which is to be obtained via efficiency projects that come with either positive or at least no negative socio economic impacts,” Mr Whan said. 

“Recommendations relating to modelling of the benefits of water recovery in conjunction with constraints are strongly supported.”

Winemaker Darren De Bortoli referred to the Plan as the “greatest socioeconomic and environmental disaster in Australia's history”. 

“Those regional towns are important from a number of reasons. They underpin those larger broad-acre regions. The communities suffer a great deal and they were never properly compensated,” Mr De Bortoli said. 

Interested parties are encouraged to take a look at the draft report. Comment can be made until October 10 at the commission’s website.