Community Engagement in the Murray Darling Basin Plan

February 3rd, 2010

Community engagement is a central component in the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority have developed a strategy to guide their engagement with a broad range of stakeholders during the development of the Basin Plan. You can download a copy of their Stakeholder Engagement Strategy here.

As part of the engagement strategy, the MDBA has committed to providing stakeholders with information about the Basin Plan and its development. We are doing this through presentations, regional community meetings of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority and the Basin Community Committee and one-on-one meetings with stakeholder groups. A variety of additional engagement activities will be held to facilitate the development of the Basin Plan. These activities include:

• individual meetings with stakeholder groups and communities
• a peak body forum
• a government and science forum
• a northern rivers Indigenous gathering
• a Murray Lower Darling Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) workshop
• presentations, discussions and information stands at regional Basin Community Committee and Murray–Darling Basin Authority meetings
• presentations and information stands at shopping centres, conferences, field days, and agricultural shows
• digital communications including our website, on-line forums and blogs
• fact sheets, an issues paper, as well as technical and research reports
• comprehensive regional workshops during the public consultation and submission phase.

Additionally, the Murray-Darling Basin authority has also released a descriptive report on the socio-economic context for the Murray-Darling Basin. The report summarises the available information on the broad social and economic circumstances of Basin communities and describes the context in which Basin water resources are used. This report will also be used in inform the nature of the community engagement in the development of the Basin Plan.

Stakeholder Mapping

The MDBA identified more than 1000 stakeholder groups who have an interest in the development and implementation of the Basin Plan and the activities of MDBA.  As a part of the stakeholder mapping process, the MDBA developed charts to help identify existing peak bodies and established communication channels that we can use to share information. The ‘mind-maps’ for each of the stakeholder groups are available for viewing below.

• Irrigation and water user groups
• Conservation and environment groups, and non-government organisations
• Primary industry and commodity groups
• Primary Industry and Commodity Groups Crops
• Primary Industry and Commodity Groups Horticulture
• Primary Industry and Commodity Groups Meat and Livestock
• Primary Industry and Commodity Groups Forestry
• Regional Bodies CMAs NRM Boards
• Government Departments Agencies
• Local Government ROCS Water Utilities
• Mining Energy Industry

Recent Updates

MDBA released for public comment the Development of sustainable diversion limits for the Murray-Darling Basin issues paper which sets out the proposed process for developing SDLs and explains how they may be expressed in the Basin Plan. Comments on the issues paper from 12 November to 18 December 2009. In addition, the paper was discussed at two forums organised by the authority in Canberra in December 2009 (the Peak Bodies Forum and the Government and Science Forum), and one with Indigenous communities in the northern Basin also in December 2009.

The MDBA received a total of 155 submissions from various stakeholders.  These included:

• Australian, state and local government agencies;
• organisations representing agriculture, horticulture, irrigation, the environment, science and research; and
• individuals.

All non-confidential submissions will be published on the MDBA website in early February 2010, and a summary of responses to the questions asked in the issues paper and MDBA’s response to those issues on the website in March 2010.

For more information:

• An update on the consultation phase of the sustainable diversion limits issues paper can be read here.
• A summary of the issues raised and comments made during the MDBA visit to Albury in December can be read here.
• An overview of the socio-economic context report for the MDBA can be read here.

Tags: collaborative water planning, Murray-Darling, public participation, social assessment, tools for engagement

Entry Filed under: News and Events, Related Research