Antinuclear

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said NSW was “considering its options in relation to the basin plan” following a meeting of water ministers in Canberra on Sunday.

Mr Barilaro did not attend the meeting, but in a statement said the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Ministerial Council had missed an opportunity to deliver “some real certainty and transparency for regional communities on their knees”.

“The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is untenable for NSW,” he said in the statement.

At a media conference after the water ministers met, neither NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey, Federal Water Minister David Littleproud, Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville nor South Australian Water Minister David Speirs gave any indication NSW was considering walking away from the plan.

Independent modelling

Following the meeting, Victoria’s Lisa Neville and NSW counterpart Melinda Pavey said their states would work together to appoint independent experts to review the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) modelling for water flows.

We’re concerned about some of the modelling that has been done by the MDBA that assumes flows that we don’t believe are achievable or can’t be achieved without significant flooding of communities,” Ms Neville said.

“We thought this was a commonsense motion that we put to the Council today, unfortunately we didn’t get support, so we will undertake our own work,” she said.

Ms Pavey said drought had heightened concern in regional communities and there was a level of distrust about the ability of authorities to deliver the basin plan.

“Our communities deserve nothing less than to open the books, have a look at the work, analyse it, independently peer review it so that we can restore faith in the processes,” Ms Pavey said.

The review of the MDBA’s modelling for both environment and irrigation flows is expected to be completed by the next Ministerial Council in December.

Mick Keelty gets inspector-general nod

Federal Water Minister David Littleproud thanked the state and territory ministers for unanimously agreeing to establish an inspector-general for the Murray-Darling Basin.

“The inspector-general will be a tough but fair cop to oversee all states and federal agencies delivering the basin plan,” Mr Littleproud said.

Former police commissioner Mick Keelty, who was appointed Northern Basin Commissioner last year, was confirmed at the ministerial council that he will serve as interim Inspector-General.

Mr Keelty said he would not be surprised to learn of more corruption throughout the basin, although he did not expect it would be extensive.

“Because I would have thought I would have heard of it in this first 12 months as northern commissioner [but] nothing surprises you in the corruption game,” he said.

“People are motivated by greed and there is a huge value on water. Water is the value of gold.”

Mr Keelty said he hoped the role would restore confidence in the basin plan.

“First and foremast, none of the major inquiries that have emerged out of the Murray-Darling Basin have come from any of the departments themselves, they’ve come from journalists,” Mr Keelty said.

“Why aren’t the systems in place to deal with complaints — either of integrity matters or complaints over how the system is operating,” he said.

Earlier this year, a Productivity Commission reportfound the MDBA was conflicted and recommended a separate authority be established to oversee compliance with the basin plan.

SA’s Royal Commission, desalination plant not discussed

South Australia’s Water Minister David Speirs described the meeting as “broadly successful”.

He said that neither the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan nor the Adelaide desalination plant were discussed at the meeting.

Mr Speirs said the SA Government was continuing to assess how the Adelaide desalination plant might be used to offset the city’s demands on the Murray-Darling Basin.

The MDBA is yet to release a communique from the meeting.