{"id":1470,"date":"2019-02-07T18:22:59","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T18:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=1470"},"modified":"2019-02-07T18:22:59","modified_gmt":"2019-02-07T18:22:59","slug":"greens-murray-darling-basin-royal-commission-terms-released","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2019\/02\/07\/greens-murray-darling-basin-royal-commission-terms-released\/","title":{"rendered":"Greens\u2019 Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission terms released"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Australian Greens have today released draft terms of reference for a federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin.
\n\u201cWe know our river is under extreme stress. Fish are dying and people are without clean water to drink. A Royal Commission is clearly warranted. It must be far reaching, take into account the effect the Plan has had on environment and river communities, and include the impact of climate change,\u201d Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
\n\u201cCorporate and political interests have corrupted the Murray Darling Basin. The plan meant to end the water wars and strengthen our most important river system has failed.
\n\u201cThe Murray Darling Basin Authority has been steered towards political and corporate interests, and Australian taxpayers can have little faith that it is doing what it is meant to do.
\n\u201cThe health of river has long since ceased to be a priority, which both the South Australian Royal Commission and the Productivity Commission Report have showed. This has adversely effected regional communities who are watching their river die before their eyes, while governments continue to use drought as a scapegoat.
\n\u201cSouth Australians are sick of being blamed for what is mismanagement of the system upstream. I will unashamedly stand up for my state and for a healthy Murray Darling Basin above all else.
\n\u201cThe South Australian Royal Commission was hampered by the Commonwealth, and the other Basin States refusal to participate. Ministers past and present and government agencies were stopped from giving evidence. We need a federal inquiry to hold people to account and drive the reforms we so urgently need.
\n\u201cIn the meantime we need to urgently lift the freeze on water buybacks and get some environmental flows back into the river system. Saving this river is not going to be easy, but if we continue with business as usual it will die. There are no jobs, no river communities and no agriculture on a dead river.
\n\u201cI will be reaching out to my colleagues ahead of the next sitting of Parliament to discuss these draft terms of reference. If we are to get this river system on track to full health, we need a solution that is supported across party lines, one that leaves no stone unturned.\u201d
\n<\/a>Terms of reference<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (1)\u00a0 The Commission must inquire and advise the Parliament in relation to the following matters:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (a)\u00a0 any misconduct relating to, or affecting, the management of the Basin water resources;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (b)\u00a0 the legislative and administrative framework for implementing, managing and enforcing the Basin Plan;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (c)\u00a0 the impact that the implementation, management and enforcement of the Basin Plan has had on the environment, agriculture and communities that rely on the Basin water resources;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (d)\u00a0 the suitability and effectiveness of the existing legislative and administrative framework for the management of the Basin water resources, including any adverse effects that framework has had on the management of the Basin water resources (whether or not those effects are the result of misconduct);<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (e)\u00a0 the allocation of funds by the Commonwealth and the Basin States to implement the Basin Plan, and the impact of funded projects (including water buybacks and efficiency measures) in facilitating environmental watering in the Murray-Darling Basin;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (f)\u00a0 the likely impact of climate change to the Basin water resources, and any appropriate measures to take to adapt those resources in light of that impact;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (g)\u00a0 any matter reasonably incidental to a matter mentioned in the above paragraphs.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (2)\u00a0 Without limiting paragraph\u00a0(1)(a), misconduct includes any conduct of a person or body (whether or not a public agency):<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (a)\u00a0 that adversely affects, or that could adversely affect, either directly or indirectly, the honest or impartial performance or exercise of a public agency\u2019s functions or powers; or<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (b)\u00a0 that constitutes or involves an offence against a law of the Commonwealth or a law of the State; or<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (c)\u00a0 that constitutes or involves a contravention of a civil penalty provision under a law of the Commonwealth or of a State; or<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (d)\u00a0 that would attract any other penalty under a law of the Commonwealth or a State, including a breach of a standard or licence condition; or<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (e)\u00a0 that constitutes or involves breach of trust, fraud in office, nonfeasance, misfeasance, malfeasance, oppression, extortion or imposition.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (3)\u00a0 The Commission is not required to inquire, or to continue to inquire, into a particular matter to the extent that it is satisfied that the matter has been, is being, or will be, sufficiently and appropriately dealt with by:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (a)\u00a0 another inquiry or investigation; or<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (b)\u00a0 a criminal or civil proceeding.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (4)\u00a0 In inquiring and advising in accordance with subsection\u00a0(1), the Commission may give priority to matters which, in the Commission\u2019s opinion, have greater potential for harm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Australian Greens have today released draft terms of reference for a federal Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin. \u201cWe know our river is under extreme stress. Fish are dying and people are without clean water to drink. A Royal Commission is clearly warranted. It must be far reaching, take into account the effect … Continue reading “Greens\u2019 Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission terms released”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}