Original story by Sam Burgess, ABC News
Meetings in St George, Dirranbandi and Mungindi in south-west Queensland this week are being held to provide an update on a scientific review of the Murray-Darling plan and discuss some of its economic and social impacts.
Looking downstream on the Maranoa River at Mitchell. Photo: Brian Voon Yee Yap, Wikimedia Commons
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) says communities that rely on irrigation must be looked after when water entitlements are reduced.
MDBA spokesman David Galeano says there is still time for communities to ensure they are not worse off when the plan is implemented.
“Something like 1,600 gigalitres has already been recovered or is contracted for recovery,” he said.
“Even though the SDL [sustainable diversion limits] don’t take effect until 2019, irrigated agriculture will be starting to change between now and then potentially and that’s what we’re going to try to pick up.”
Mr Galeano says although the plan is law, the authority is still trying to find the best way to implement it.
“Sustainable diversion limits don’t actually take effect until 2019, so very early days but one of the things we want to do from the social and economic side of things is keep a close eye on how irrigated agriculture is changing,” he said.
“That’s one of the things we like to talk to people about is what indicators should we track over time to do exactly that.”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.