That is the request made by a delegation of local irrigator, business and advocacy groups who attended water policy meetings in Canberra last week.
A delegation of southern Riverina locals representing Voices4Farrer, Southern Riverina Irrigators and the Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) met with the adviser to Federal Minister for Water David Littleproud and chief of staff for Shadow Minister for Environment and Water Tony Burke to voice the request. MRSG represents local government, irrigator groups including Murray Irrigation Ltd, and Indigenous groups.
SRI chair Chris Brooks said the collective demanded a Royal Commission to review and redraft a more workable, fair and reasonable Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
‘‘We simply need the Basin Plan to be more acceptable to all parties within the basin — for irrigators, environmentalists and the Indigenous,’’ Mr Brooks said.
‘‘The overall lack of transparency, alleged corruption, mismanagement and lack of accountability that’s occurring must be addressed with a total overhaul, to benefit local communities, Indigenous and environmental groups.’’
Mr Brooks said the Royal Commission would provide a suitable platform for people, businesses, organisations and government departments from NSW, South Australia and Queensland to ‘‘lay all issues out on the table once and for all’’.
He stressed the politics of water must be removed to allow for common sense, productivity and the long term viable protection of the existing environment.
‘‘No one is getting any value from the Basin Plan in its current form,” he said.
Deniliquin business woman Vicki Meyer said the Royal Commission would ‘‘stop the rot’’ associated with the Basin Plan and the overall mismanagement of water in the Murray-Darling Basin.
‘‘We need to stop the rot — not just by stopping the rotting fish events happening, which is a by-product of the Basin Plan. This is a national problem concerning the greatest human need — water,’’ Ms Meyer said.
‘‘First and foremost we need accountability into the triple bottom line (balanced social, economic and environmental outcomes) because quite clearly, our rural communities have become refugees of the system.
‘‘So many people are suffering from the lack of water in our communities. We have clear mental health issues in communities that are a by-product with a failing health system that’s exacerbating it.
‘‘We need a Royal Commission to achieve transparency and accountability in what’s happening.’’
Mr Brooks said SRI would continue the fight to address issues associated with the mismanagement of water and the Basin Plan including perceived environmental failings and destruction, including the recent fish kills and drowning of forests, as well as issues surrounding commerce and indigenous affairs, socio-economic factors such as mental health issues, the depopulation of regional Australia and asset value destruction.