Chair Geoff Moar told MRSG’s recent annual meeting that positive relationships had been developed with numerous stakeholders, leading to greater collaboration.
This included informative workshops with Murray-Darling Basin Authority CEO Andrew McConville and river management executive director Jacqui Hickey, as well as with Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Simon Banks.
There had also been ongoing engagement NSW Government departmental staff.
Mr Moar described the workshops as “very positive and respectful”.
He said MRSG had worked closely with numerous political representatives, in particular those at local level, but also state and federal, and had welcomed local councillors and council staff to meetings and workshops.
Mr Moar thanked all members for staying involved with MRSG and for the collaborative approach which had been adopted to working through issues with water, which he described as “coming in at a rate of knots”.
One major disappointment for MRSG was the continuing refusal of Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to to visit the region and gain a better understanding of water management and viable alternatives to water buybacks.
At the annual meeting Mr Moar was re-elected unopposed as MRSG chair, with Louise Burge elected deputy chair and Shelley Scoullar appointed secretary/treasurer.
John Lolicato, on behalf of members, thanked Mr Moar for his leadership and the ongoing commitment to presenting the NSW Murray Adaptive Road Map, developed by MRSG, to various agencies involved in Murray-Darling Basin Plan implementation.
After the AGM there was a general meeting, attended by local council representatives.
This was followed by a bus trip to visit on-farm environmental water sites west of Deniliquin, which was organised by Murray Irrigation Ltd.
The project, developed and implemented by MIL, allows MIL infrastructure to move water into creek systems on private property which would not normally receive water until the Murray River flows at above 60,000 megalitres a day at Tocumwal.
By utilising the gravity-feed irrigation system, water can be delivered into the creek systems when the Murray is flowing at normal low levels, giving environmental water managers much more flexibility and control of environmental watering events.
MRSG is promoting these adaptive measures to achieve improved environmental outcomes, as an alternative to Federal Government water buybacks which have a proven adverse social and economic impact on regional communities.
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