Terms of reference

Inquiry into the implications for the long-term sustainable management of the Murray Darling Basin system

Terms of reference

The implications for the long-term sustainable management of the Murray Darling Basin system for inquiry and the reporting date has been further extended to 25 June 2009, with particular reference to:

  1. the adequacy of current whole-of -basin governance arrangements under the Intergovernmental Agreement;

  2. the adequacy of current arrangements in relation to the implementation of the Basin Plan and water sharing arrangements;

  3. long-term prospects for the management of Ramsar wetlands including the supply of adequate environmental flows;

  4. the risks to the basin posed by unregulated water interception activities and water theft;

  5. the ability of the Commonwealth to bind state and territory governments to meet their obligations under the National Water Initiative;

  6. the adequacy of existing state and territory water and natural resource management legislation and enforcement arrangements; and

  7. the impacts of climate change on the likely future availability of water

Written submissions are invited and should be addressed to:

The Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

The Committee prefers to receive submissions electronically as an attached document - email: rrat.sen@aph.gov.au

The closing date for receipt of submissions for the implications for the long-term sustainable management of the Murray Darling Basin system is 19 November 2008

Submissions become Committee documents and are made public only after a decision by the Committee. Persons making submissions must not release them without the approval of the Committee. Submissions are covered by parliamentary privilege but the unauthorised release of them is not.

Following consideration of submissions, the Committee will hold public hearings. The Committee will consider all submissions and may invite individuals and organisations to give evidence at the public hearings.

Inquiries from hearing and speech impaired people should be directed to the Parliament House TTY number (02) 6277 7799. Adobe also provides tools for the blind and visually impaired to access PDF documents. These tools are available at: http://access.adobe.com/. If you require any special arrangements in order to enable you to participate in a committee inquiry, please contact the committee secretary.

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3511
Fax: +61 2 6277 5811
Email: rrat.sen@aph.gov.au