THE Murray-Darling Basin's independent water watchdog has investigated claims federal government organisations were mismanaging the precious resource, but found no evidence to back up the allegations.
Inspector-General of Water Compliance Troy Grant said one of the most common concerns raised to his office was how the Murray Darling Basin Authority managed the Murray River and how the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder managed its water portfolio.
Mr Grant said after a lengthy investigation, which was "overwhelmingly asked for", his office found the agencies were performing their functions according to the Water Act and the basin plan.
Mr Grant said his job was to "sort fact from fiction" and hoped the Steady As She Flows report would debunk myths that were "eroding public trust and confidence".
"I'm confident this report will be hard to swallow for many in the communities who told me emphatically these government agencies weren't running the rivers or environmental flows properly," he said.
"I want to build trust and confidence, but I can't do that without being honest - and I can honestly say this report those organisations are performing professionally and in accordance with their obligations."
Mr Grant said although he did not find any specific wrongdoing, he did find plenty of opportunities to respond to community concerns about a lack of transparency.
"These relate to communication and information provision, which quite frankly in the last decade, hasn't been good enough," Mr Grant said.
"There should be a one-stop shop for resources, because my report found that there are still over 20 organisations and websites all providing different information about the Murray-Darling Basin.
"No wonder people lose confidence when they don't know where to look for accessible information that is important to them."
Despite the findings, Mr Grant urged basin communities to continue bringing their concerns to him.
"I don't want the findings of the river operation report to deter anyone from coming forward - I need a starting point, and from there we will investigate it," Mr Grant said.
"Liaise with our field officers, tell them what you're worried about, and we'll find out the truth of the matter."
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
