Basin Plan will increase salt export and improve salinity levels

In response to the Adelaide Advertiser's article 'Salt in the wound' (Monday, 20/2/12), the MDBA's Chief Executive Dr Rhondda Dickson provided this letter to the editor.

To the editor,

In yesterday's paper you repeated comments about the draft basin plan and its inability to address the need to flush salt out of the system.

The truth is the exact opposite - the draft Basin Plan is actually predicted to increase the export of salt to the ocean and also to improve the salinity levels in the Murray in SA.

Where commentators get it wrong is to refer to the Goyder Institute's analysis of the preliminary modelling which was actually undertaken by the MDBA in 2010.  If readers would like to read the Plan and its substantial supporting documentation they will find that since 2010 further substantial analysis and modelling has been done by the MDBA.  The work behind the draft Basin Plan draws upon this in-depth analysis. 

This  modelling indicates that the long-term average salt export target of 2 million tonnes per year will be met with the proposed SDLs in the draft basin Plan.  This work involved detailed analysis since 1975, from which point river salinity has been closely modelled, and then extrapolating this information to the 114-year modelled period used for the draft. 

The modelling done to inform the draft Basin Plan also indicates that average and peak salinity will be reduced in the lower Murray as a result of the Basin Plan.  In relation to drinking and irrigation water quality, salinity concentration is more important that salt load.  Yesterday's article also confuses these two issues. 

The Authority  has recently released a report entitled "Hydrologic modelling to inform the proposed Basin Plan: Methods and results" which sets out the detailed technical analysis of this modelling, including in relation to salt export.

I encourage people to look at all our work available on our website as part of the development of their submission. 

Dr Rhondda Dickson
Chief Executive
MDBA