Murray Darling Basin Plan Issues and Regulation

The Murray Darling Basin Plan is a contentious project that aims to sell water from the commonwealth to farmers. However, the people are against it as they believe it will affect crop growth and lead to unemployment. The project's high cost and distance from cities also raise concerns. This assignment provides detailed information about the plan, its laws, and related water resources regulation.

Law Sustainability

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
ESSAY ............................................................................................................................................1
THE CASE ......................................................................................................................................5
DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Murray Darling is a large geographical area in the interior of southeaster Australia. The
name of the basin is driven or derived from two major rivers of Australia, they are : Murray river
and Darling river (Amran and et.al., 2014). This basin drains around one seventh of the
Australian land mass which is the most significant agricultural area in the country. In this essay
the Australian legislation for agriculture and the issues of water resources will be discussed in
detail. The case and issues related to Murray Darling Basin and the issues in agriculture will be
explained in detail.
ESSAY
In the present essay the '' Murray Darling Basin Plan '' has been taken to highlight the
growth and the issues faced in agricultural land in Australia. However, the people are facing
some issues in the laws related to agricultural land connected to Murray Darling Basin .
The law was signed by the prime minister on 22, November 2012. It was singed after the
commonwealth, the plan was in high controversy for a long. Some people argued that they do not
want to make the basin as it was so far to protect the environment from long transportations and
the river basin from getting damaged. . On the other hand some people were in favour and said
that they can afford to go so far without causing irreparable damage to the irrigation- dependent
communities and agricultural production (Murray Darling Basin Plan And issues in agriculture.
2016). The basic plan made for the Murray Darling Basin which drains the one seventh of the
Australian continent, represents its one third of agricultural production and it working are as
follows :
 Agricultural production is the home to more than 2 million people.
 The Murray Darling Basin is 2,500 kilometres long, on one of the driest continents in the
world.
 It is trying to set the balance and the priorities for one of the most divisive and
complicated policy issues in the country.
 This plan was to remove 2,750 gigaliters of water from the irrigated agriculture, and
return that water into the river system.
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 The mix government purchased the licence and removed the 2,080 gigaliters.
The agreement for basin plan was signed in 2012 and is still in controversy due to the following
reasons :
 To get the plan for basin approved there were really difficult issues to be faced and were
effectively left unresolved in the documents which became law in 2012.
 The government planned to adjust mechanism to set the 2,750 gigalitres of water as a
recovery target, but later they left it for future government to work in it.
There were three decisions or the plans to be taken by the government regarding the basin plan
and commonwealth :
First plan was to whether accept the Murray Darling basin plan to reduce the amount of
water it acquires for the environment in the northern basin. This plan confirmed the removal of
water from the agricultural land to smash the employment in irrigation dependent communities.
Second plan was to finalise or list of the major points to develop the infrastructure for the
projects which was designed to deliver the water for environmental use in more effective and
efficient manner in southern end of the basin (Bosselmann, K., 2016). The states that adopts the
plans to achieve the better environmental impact by delivering less water but more effectively
and efficiently in the commonwealth the basin plan can be chosen.
Third plan was to argue on the most sensitive political fight of whether the government
should agree for the project or should reject the project. It decides the possible use to the '
adjustment mechanism ' to deliver an addition of 450 gigaliters of water to the environment.
According to the plan the additional water can only be delivered if it would be neutral or
improved by the socio economic impact on the basin communities. The need for neutral or
improved water by socio economic impact are as follows :
The political arguments to define the neutral or the improved socio economic outcomes.
The plan of basin says that the farmer who chooses to sell water to the commonwealth that will
be considered as the neutral or the improved socio economic outcome because in return the
farmer will be paid at a fair price by the government for selling the water. The irrigators and the
irrigation dependent farmers and communities says that it does not take the flow on effect when
the farmers sell the water. The farmers do not have enough water for proper irrigation after
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selling the water in commonwealth. The government argues by saying that, while selling water
the farmer makes money, the sale might be harder to deliver water to the other irrigators.
THE LEGISLATION
The laws which has been enacted by the governing body or the process of making it is
known as legislation. The items are called bill before they are amended as legislation. There are
various laws related to the commonwealth water legislation which are administered by the
department of agriculture and water resources. The laws include the following acts :
 Water Act 2007
 Water Efficiency Labelling And Standards Act 2005
 Water Regulations 2008
 Water Charge And Water Market Rules
Water Act 2007
Under this act the legislative ensures the framework for the Australia's largest water
resource which is Murray Darling Basin Plan. The framework is managed by the national
interest. The water act recognises in the Murray Darling Basin which helps to continue managing
water resources within the jurisdictions.
 The Murray Darling Basin authority (MDBA) has established the functions and powers
which includes the enforcement powers, needed to ensure the basin water is managed in
an integrated and sustainable way (Chapman and et.al., 2017.).
 The act helps to get the information about the water resources and the functions with
making addition in the existing functions under the meteorology act 1955.
 The production commission is also given. The role on effectiveness of the
implementation of Murray Darling Basin Plan and the other water resources plans. The
progress towards achieving the objective and outcomes of the national water initiative.
 The water act requires the Australian competition and the consumer commission (ACCC)
with the key role in developing and enforcing water charge and water market rules. The
lines agreed in the national water initiative along with the act.
 The government requires in making the strategic plans to manage the water from the
Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Water charge and water market rules
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The rules and regulations are made to be prescribed in the certain matter as provided for
the water act 2007. The federal executive council approved the water regulation act 2008. It also
referred to the principal regulation. Any regulations made under the act after the principal will be
regulated in the water amendment regulations.
 Murray darling basin authority's special powers.
 Extension of transitional coverage to state and territory water planning arrangements
water information.
Water Change And Water Market Rules
The water act 2007 provides for the water charge and water market rules made to be
regulated in the market and the charges were applied to sell the water across the Murray Darling
Basin. The minister of agriculture and the water resources is required to work on the advice by
the Australian competition and consumer commission (ACCC). It helps in making the
amendments and revoking the water charges and market rules (Dalal-Clayton, B. and Sadler,
B., 2014). ACCC is also responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the rules
once they have been made. Some rules were made and undertaken to give review on the water
charges applied with the rules and regulations by the government. The rules made in the water
charges helps in reducing the cost of assess opportunities for the industry as well as for
government. It also helps in improving the efficiency and to maintain the effective standards.
Under Water efficiency labelling and standard act 2005 the Australian government provides the
legal framework for the efficiency of the water resources and labelling standards scheme.
Amendments to water act
The act was enacted in 2008 with some referral parts of the basin to the commonwealth.
The amendments related to the transfer of the functions from the former of the Murray Darling
basin plan. The commission on the project of Murray Darling Basin plan was to give the strength
to the role of ACCC by providing the charges for water. It also helps to apply the water rules to
all the services of water such as critical human needs during commonwealth, water transactions
and the basin states to formalised the intergovernmental agreements : The memorandum of
understanding on the Murray darling basin reform was signed in March 2008 by the prime
minister of the Australia. Intergovernmental agreement on Murray darling Basin reform was
singed in July 2008 by the prime minister.
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THE CASE
In the present case it is discussed about the Murray darling basin plan and water issues in
the agriculture in Australia. The legislation about the water resources related to the agriculture is
discussed in the case.
The land occupied by the agriculture in Australia is around 60% of the total. The use of
land in Australia about 80% of that is grazing leases in arid areas, 8% sown for pasture and
grasses, 6% sown for the crops and reaming 1% irrigated agriculture. The country privately owns
only 13% of Australian land. The environmental impact of the Murray darling basin are :
Australia has the 10% of the world's biodiversity it includes vegetation clearing, changed water
flows, introduced species, commercial harvesting, altered fire regimes pollution, climate change
and the urban development (Gabriel Eweje, D. and Bathurst, R. eds., 2017). The techniques of
raising ground water related to land clearing and irrigation. The fertilisers in which contains the
nitrogen should be used for the soil acidification. The good fertiliser helps the to grow healthy
crops. Regular pests control should be done to avoid getting crops spoil and the unwanted weeds
should be removed timely to make it easy for the crops to grow faster and healthier. There should
be the proper checking of the water level. The proper measures should be taken to maintain the
water level from decreasing. The proper water level and the appropriate use of fertilisers helps to
reduce the soil erosion. Reduction in the soil erosion helps to retain the soil structure which helps
to maintain the quality of the soil. Mining to extract different minerals from the soil the process
of mining is adopted which has an adverse impact on soil quality and ground water level.
Murray darling basin
An average flow of 21,200 gigaliters per year and cab vary between 1600 gigaliters to 53000
gigaliters. Many ecosystems suffer from the seasonal flow reversals which causes algal blooms,
salinity, biodiversity loss and zero outflow at Murray mouth. Snowy river also had 99% of its
flow diverted into the Murray darling Basin schemes. The salinity was the major problem in the
1980s caused by rising water tables associated with deforestation and irrigation in the Murray
darling basin. The problem were exacerbated during the millennium drought the programmes
were included and introduced in 2003. Palm oil and tropical rainforest degradation has the
impact on the Biodiversity loss from the lowland forest reduced to 42% of 1900 levels. The
highest rate of conversion around existing palm oil plantation where accidental fires are
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common. The Murray darling basin plan was an historic agreement about the uses of water that
flows down the nations the longest river system (Higgins and et.al., 2015). Some people were in
favour of the project as well as some were against. The were against to this project because
according to them the project would cost high to the country as the Murray darling basin was far
from the territory of Australia. The transportation cost of the water was very high for the
irrigation and the agricultural production. The people also taught that the long transportation will
cause harm to the environment and would affect the health of the river. The Murray darling basin
is more than 2500 kilometres long, it is the worlds the longest river system of the worlds the
driest continent.
DISCUSSION
In this essay it has been discussed about the '' Murray Darling Basin Plan '' and the issues
of water resources in the agriculture in Australia has been highlight for the better growth. The
people are facing some issues in the laws related to agricultural land connected to Murray
Darling Basin Plan. The framers are tempted to sell the water in the commonwealth rather using
it for agricultural purpose. The legislation and the acts for the water resources are discussed in
the detail. The amendments, regulations, charges and water market is explained. The effective
and efficient working of the rules and regulations for the legislation and the acts made for
agriculture and Murray darling basin plan (Kommers and et.al., 2016). The Murray darling basin
plan was initially not accepted by the government due to its high costing. Also, it was very far
from the country to get the water on the regular bases. Many ways to get control on the
environment from the pollution and to grow in agriculture have been discussed.
The Murray darling basin drains the one seventh of the Australian continent and the one
third of it affects the agricultural land and production of the country. The government is trying to
keep the balance by resolving the issues of the basin and the farmers. 2750 gigaliters of the water
from irrigated agricultural land was returned to the river system back. There was a very long
political discussion on the Murray darling basin plan and the socio economic outcome. The
government and the farmer had the arguments in the case as the government says that the farmer
have earned money by selling the water in the commonwealth. The farmers said that it was very
hard to deliver the water as it was very far (Yu, M. and Halog, A., 2015). The people were
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against to this project as they taught it will affect the capacity to grow the crops which might lead
to unemployment. The people assumed that the jobs disappear and will have to find the jobs and
need to go elsewhere for the work which could harm the business in town or the local school
might close. Though the project was signed in 2012 but it is still in controversy as the Murray
darling basin is too far from the city and will consume a high cost to get connected.
CONCLUSIONS
From the above case it can be concluded that, the issues and the acts related to the ''
Murray Darling Basin Plan '' has been discussed in the detail. The growth of agricultural land in
Australia with the project and the laws made for it is been explained in detail. The essay about
the topic is discussed to highlight water issues. The legislation for the water resources during
commonwealth is discussed. The various acts are been explained in detail for the regulation of
the water resources connected by the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Amran and et.al., 2014. The influence of governance structure and strategic corporate social
responsibility toward sustainability reporting quality. Business Strategy and the
Environment.23(4). pp.217-235.
Bosselmann, K., 2016. The principle of sustainability: transforming law and governance.
Taylor & Francis.
Chapman and et.al., 2017. Renewable Energy Policy Efficacy and Sustainability: The Role of
Equity in Improving Energy Policy Outcomes. In Sustainability Through Innovation in Product
Life Cycle Design(pp. 747-763). Springer Singapore.
Dalal-Clayton, B. and Sadler, B., 2014. Sustainability appraisal: a sourcebook and reference
guide to international experience. Routledge.
Gabriel Eweje, D. and Bathurst, R. eds., 2017. Csr, Sustainability, and Leadership (Vol. 5).
Taylor & Francis.
Higgins and et.al., C., Milne, M.J. and Van Gramberg, B., 2015. The uptake of sustainability
reporting in Australia. Journal of Business Ethics.129(2). pp.445-468.
Kommers and et.al., 2016. Proceedings of the International Conferences on Internet
Technologies & Society (ITS), Education Technologies (ICEduTECH), and Sustainability,
Technology and Education (STE)(Melbourne, Australia, December 6-8, 2016). International
Association for Development of the Information Society.
Yu, M. and Halog, A., 2015. Solar photovoltaic development in Australia—a life cycle
sustainability assessment study. Sustainability.7(2). pp.1213-1247.
Online
Murray Darling Basin Plan And issues in agriculture. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<https://http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-21/what-is-the-murray-darling-basin-plan/
8043180.pdf>. [Accessed on 5th September 2017].
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