Murray-Darling Basin Commission: Final report

MDBC overview

MDBC subsumed into MDBA

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) and its functions were subsumed into the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) on 15 December 2008, under provisions of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth). MDBA is part of the Federal Government portfolio of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC)

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) was an unincorporated joint venture linking the Australian Government and the five other governments with jurisdiction in the Murray-Darling Basin: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. It was initially established in 1988 under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, replacing the former River Murray Commission which had been established in 1917 to put into effect the earlier River Murray Waters Agreement.

The commission primarily advised the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (see page 190). It consisted of a President, two Commissioners and two Deputy Commissioners from each party to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement.

From 1 July 2008 to 14 December 2008, the commission agreed to 15 decisions out-of-session, and held two meetings, one in Victoria and one in Queensland.

The commission was supported by five high-level inter-jurisdictional committees:

• River Murray Water
• Natural Resource Management
• The Living Murray
• Commission Strategy
• Audit and Compliance.

These committees were in turn advised by various working groups and technical taskforces.

 

Murray-Darling Basin Agreement

The first Murray-Darling Basin Agreement was signed by the governments of the Commonwealth, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in 1987. In its initial form, this agreement was an amendment - the final one - to the River Murray Waters Agreement, which had been in place since 1915. Five years later in 1992, a totally new Murray-Darling Basin Agreement was signed by the same governments, replacing the River Murray Waters Agreement. Queensland became a signatory in 1996, and in 1998, the Australian Capital Territory formalised its participation in the agreement through a memorandum of understanding. The agreement was ratified by legislation enacted by the parliaments of all the signatory governments.

MDBC governance

MDBC reported to partner governments through the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, undertook activities at the direction of the council, and also advised council. The council was advised by a Community Advisory Committee.

MDBC coordinated the efforts of the government partners to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, and worked with state authorities that construct water infrastructure. It also worked in partnership with many other water-resource programs, water organisations and research bodies.

For an outline of MDBC governance, see Figure I.

Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council

The Ministerial Council consisted of up to three ministers from each contracting government who held responsibility for matters relating to water, land and the environment.

Their functions were to:

• consider and determine major policy issues of common interest concerning the effective planning and management for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of water, land and other environmental resources of the Basin
• consider, develop and authorise works and measures
• agree upon amendments to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement.

The Ministerial Council could also give directions to the commission or request a report from the commission, and could appoint temporary or standing committees as it saw fit.

The Ministerial Council transacted business from 1 July 2008 to 14 December 2008, considering 10 out-of-session decisions in that time. It held its last meeting (meeting number 46) on 14 November 2008.

 

 

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC), appointed by the Ministerial Council, comprised 20 members and an independent Chair. Members were appointed for four-year staggered terms to maintain continuity and were selected on the basis of their skills, expertise and networks.

The CAC's function was to directly advise Ministerial Council from a community viewpoint on critical natural resource management issues within the Basin. It also had an obligation to disseminate information to local communities and to support policy development processes.

From 1 July 2008 to 14 December 2008, the CAC conducted three community forums on the Coorong and the Lower Lakes on behalf of the Ministerial Council. Two were held in South Australia and one in NSW. The CAC held its final meeting in Canberra in September 2008.

For a final summary of the CAC's activities, see page 260.

MDBC functions

MDBC had the core mission of managing for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of the water, land and other environmental resources of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Its functions were to:

• advise the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council in relation to the planning, development and management of the water, land and other environmental resources of the Murray-Darling Basin
• assist the Ministerial Council in developing measures for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of water, land and other environmental resources of the Murray-Darling Basin
• coordinate the implementation of any measures authorised by the Ministerial Council (or to implement these directly, if the council required)
• give effect to any policy or decision of the Ministerial Council as the council required.

While state and territory partners had general responsibility for managing catchment health, MDBC concentrated on the shared water resources of the Basin to deliver optimum results for the community, industry and the environment.

The MDBC office, which on 14 December 2008 consisted of 191 people, was headed by a Chief Executive who reported to the Commission. The office provided secretariat, administrative, technical, river operations, and policy support to the commission and council.

The office had three main divisions (see Figure I): Natural Resources Management (responsible for joint programs in areas such as salinity management, water quality, and river restoration); River Murray Water (responsible for delivering agreed water shares, operating the River Murray, and managing/maintaining water storage assets, such as dams and weirs); and Corporate Services (responsible for services such as finance, human resources, and administration).

To minimise duplication and ensure coordinated natural resource management within the Basin, the MDBC office and partner government agencies also worked cooperatively with irrigation and water businesses, industry and environmental bodies, research bodies, local governments and community groups, including Indigenous groups.

Survey to assess MDBC's performance

In September 2008 a survey of key stakeholders was undertaken to determine the level of satisfaction with services provided by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (i.e. the commission office). The results of the survey were used to assess performance against the key performance indicators (KPIs) in the Strategic Plan.

The KPIs related to timeliness, quality and consistency of advice and services, including the delivery of reports and meeting papers to external stakeholders. Other KPIs concern the commission office's performance in implementing Ministerial Council decisions and in providing support, including support to the Community Advisory Committee.

The research focused on 90 core stakeholders. These included ministerial advisers, jurisdictional counterparts, Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, members of the Community Advisory Committee, and members of high-level committees.

Stakeholders completed questionnaires and telephone surveys asking about interaction, relationships, advice, decision implementation and service provision. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected.

Overall, the picture that emerged was one of a well-performing organisation in providing support and services to its various stakeholders. Satisfaction ratings of 7 and above on a scale of 0-10 were consistently scored. The research indicated that those stakeholders in more frequent contact with MDBC tended to be more satisfied with our performance in providing support and services, compared to those with less frequent contact.