Senator Wong outlined details of the Stakeholder Consultative Committee at a speech to an Irrigation Australia conference in Melbourne today.

The $50 million open tender to purchase water across the Murray Darling Basin began in February this year and closed last Friday.

Senator Wong said the Committee would comprise 12 people from a broad cross-section of Murray Darling stakeholders.

“We have invited irrigators, community members, environmentalists and water experts onto the committee to look at how we can make best use of water purchasing into the future,” Senator Wong said.

“This Government is tackling a number of major problems relating to water supply in the basin for the very first time.

“Water purchase by the Government is a relatively new frontier, so we are acutely aware of the need to learn from our first foray into the market.”

Senator Wong said she was aware of concerns being raised by some Basin communities in relation to the water purchase program.

“Basin communities are doing it tough and this situation has been made worse by the failure of the previous government to face up to the realities of climate change, drought and over-allocation.

“The group we are establishing today will provide advice on how the Government can best respond to community concerns as we progress water purchase.”

The Government has allocated $3.1 billion from the $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan to purchase water for rivers in the Murray Darling Basin.

A further $5.8 billion will be invested in sustainable irrigation infrastructure and projects to help communities make an early adjustment to a new Basin-wide cap on water use.

Senator Wong said further details on the outcomes of the $50 million tender would be announced in the near future.

Stakeholder Consultative Committee members are:

• Laurie Arthur, National Farmers Federation Water Task Force.

• Colin Thomson, chair, NSW Irrigators Council and director, Western Murray Irrigation.

• Ian Johnson, executive officer, Queensland Irrigators Council.

• Sharon Starick, South Australian Natural Resource Management Council and South Australian Farmers Federation.

• Richard Anderson, Victorian Farmers Federation.

• Dick Thompson, chair, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited.

• Mike Logan, chair, Cotton Research and Development Corporation.

• Dr Arlene Buchan, Australian Conservation Foundation – Healthy Rivers.

• Mary Annand, MacIntyre Brook Irrigators Association

• Ray Najar, general manager, Murray Darling Association.

• Prof Richard Kingsford, University of New South Wales.

• Prof Quentin Grafton, Australian National University