LEETON mayor Paul Maytom wants all of the agencies involved with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to find a way to effectively communicate with the community.
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Councillor Maytom said there was so much information out there on the plan, but it was also complex, meaning there are some mixed messages as a result.
“With so many different agencies and stakeholders there is a need to have all of the information accessible and put out to the community and those affected,” he said.
Councillor Maytom said it was important for irrigators and other affected parties to also educate themselves via the many online materials available.
The call for more transparency and more effective means of getting the word out has also come from the National Irrigators Council.
Chief executive officer Tom Chesson called on Minister for Agriculture and Water Barnaby Joyce to ensure “localism” would be hard-wired into the plan with the decentralisation of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).
“To date neither ‘localism’ nor ‘adaptive management’ have played a central role with the MDBA considered by many to be a remote ‘Canberra knows best’ organisation which has a poor reputation for meaningful consultation with impacted communities,” he said.
“If the Basin Plan is to have ‘localism’ hardwired into its DNA then it needs to be truly local.”
Cr Maytom agreed, but said there were already avenues, including in Leeton for feedback to be given directly to the authority.
“We have a local engagement officer here that works on the ground and out in the field to find out what is going on, what the issues are,” he said.
“All of that research and consultation is then channelled back through to the appropriate person at the MDBA.
“It’s important to understand that there are so many complexities surrounding the plan.
We have a local engagement officer here that works on the ground and out in the field to find out what is going on, what the issues are.
- Mayor Paul Maytom
“I would certainly say there are many areas that need to be worked on to deliver better results for our farmers and community.”
Cr Maytom said there needed to be more work done to ensure the right outcome would be achieved.
“We know there is a process in place, but we have to work together,” he said.
At the end of last month, Joyce confirmed the MDBA would remain in Canberra despite some National Party MPs and candidates calling for the authority to be moved to their electorates over the course of the federal election.
Candidates had suggested Shepparton, Mildura, Deniliquin and Adelaide as potential relocation destinations for the MDBA.
State and federal water ministers were expected to agree on a final target by last month, but elected to extend the deadline.