Recommendations
Recommendation 1
2.37 The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth work towards a full and
unconditional referral of powers relevant to the management of the MDB and, in
the absence of such full referral, consider pursuing other options to provide
for complete federal management.
Recommendation 2
3.37 The
committee recommends that the Basin Plan be implemented as set out in the Water
Act, and made available by early 2011, as provided for in the IGA but also
pursue all options with states to expedite the end of transitional arrangements
and application of the Basin Plan at the earliest opportunity possible.
Recommendation 3
4.41 The
committee recommends that the work identified in the Ramsar Snapshot Study as
key information gaps and priority work be undertaken by the Department of the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
Recommendation 4
5.54 The
committee recommends that the implementation of an Environmental Watering Plan,
or any measures to acquire and provide for environmental water, should not be
considered in isolation of the potential socio-economic impacts of these plans.
Recommendation 5
5.83 The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth work towards achieving a nationally
uniform system of water trading and licensing arrangements that ensures fair
treatment across all regions and states.
Recommendation 6
5.97 The
committee recommends that there be no compulsory acquisition of water
entitlements.
Recommendation 7
5.115 The
committee recommends that careful consideration is given to the impact of the
acceleration of the water buybacks when infrastructure projects are yet to be
commenced or completed for example, the impact of a modern delivery system on
on-farm infrastructure that has not been upgraded.
Recommendation 8
5.116 The
committee recommends that a higher priority be placed on the re-plumbing of
rural Australia through the urgent implementation of both on-farm and off-farm
infrastructure projects.
Recommendation 9
5.121 The
committee recommends that if the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has
not already implemented any plans for the delivering environmental water to key
environmental assets to date, this process should be immediately undertaken.
Recommendation 10
6.37 The
committee recommends that any policies derived as a result of the Sustainable
Yields Project be carefully examined and reviewed in light of the assessed
impact on water availability, with particular consideration given to policy
impacts on groundwater extractions.
Recommendation 11
6.39 The
committee recommends that a study be conducted on the impact of decreased water
availability, as a result of government policy, on food production areas along
the MDB. The study should take into account other studies and results completed
in this area.
Recommendation 12
7.41 The
committee recommends that priority should be given to upgrading and modernising
monitoring of water usage from the MDB.
Recommendation 13
7.42 The
committee recommends urgent identification of unregulated water interception
activities across the MDB. The relevant data should be used to inform the
development of state policies regarding the regulation of usage of these
activities.
Recommendation 14
7.43 The
committee recommends a study to be undertaken to better understand how the
states monitor and manage the harvesting of overland flows and to provide
policy development guidelines in this area for the relevant states.
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