How will we know if its a good Plan?

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced that 18 ‘indicator’ sites within the Murray-Darling river system will be made environmental priorities under the imminent Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The 18 ‘indicator’ assets are:

  • Lower Balonne River Floodplain System
  • Narran Lakes
  • Lower Goulburn River Floodplain
  • Gwydir Wetlands
  • Booligal Wetlands
  • Great Cumbung Swamp
  • Lachlan Swamp
  • Lower Darling River System
  • Macquarie Marshes
  • Barmah-Millewa Forest
  • The Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth,
  • Riverland – Chowilla Floodplain (including Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands)
  • Edward-Wakool River System
  • Gunbower-Koondrook-Pericoota Forest
  • Hattah Lakes
  • Lower Murrumbidgee River Floodplain
  • Mid Murrumbidgee River Wetlands
  • Wimmera River Terminal Wetlands

This is good, IF the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has as its target – regular flows out the end of the Murray Mouth so that the Mouth remains open most of the time, which will also ensure that the most biologically important wetlands in the Murray Darling system – the Coorong and Lower Lakes – are kept healthy. If the Authority accepts that the  Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth are “indicator” assets, the only way the Plan can be seen as a success is if flows out of the Mouth are re-established. The only way this can be achieved is through a major reduction in extractions.

Written by Paul Dalby on 16 April 2010

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~ by litfuse on April 15, 2010.

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