DOUBT continues to plague the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s future, with new Chairman Craig Knowles refusing to back his board.
In late January, Mr Knowles replaced Mike Taylor who was at the helm when the MDBA released its spectacularly maligned Guide to a Draft Basin Plan on October 8 last year.
About 20,000 outraged Basin residents and farmers turned up at public consultation forums during October and November to express bitter outrage at the Guide’s proposed water cuts of 27 to 37 per cent and its impact on their livelihoods.
In December, Mr Taylor resigned from the Authority citing issues with the Water Act’s preference of environmental outcomes over the critical social and economic factors that were excluded from the Guide.
On February 25, Dr Diana Day tendered her resignation from the Authority’s board and has since declined media interviews and remained silent.
In commenting on Dr Day’s resignation, Mr Knowles’ statement left a lot to the imagination.
He said developing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was a critical role undertaken by the Authority.
“As is well known, following my appointment I asked all Authority members to support the development of an effective Basin Plan in consultation with States, Territories and communities within the framework of the Water Act,” he said.
“I have appreciated Authority members considering my request.
“The remaining Authority members have committed to progressing further development of the Basin Plan to ensure a healthy working basin for the future.”
Mr Knowles refused to back his board during a television interview earlier in the week, where he indicated he had challenged the MDBA board members to consider their role within the water reform framework.
He said he had not asked for any board resignations but suggested members should seriously consider their future.
Industry sources say the Board’s three remaining members, David Green, Dianna Davidson and Professor Barry Hart, are not expected to quit.
It is understood they have indicated to Mr Knowles’ their willingness to back the delivery of a Basin plan that ultimately, is consistent with the key principles of a triple bottom line outcome.
Water Minister Tony Burke distanced himself from questioning on the possibility of further board changes or resignations, including the possible departure of MDBA Chief Rob Freeman.
Mr Burke said the MDBA was a statutory Authority and “I'm leaving those issues to the Authority itself”.
But Mr Burke threw down the gauntlet to the remaining members while remaining committed to the government’s desired triple bottom line outcome.
"They will all have to ask the same question which is, is their presence going to help deliver the reform the basin needs?” he said.
"I was very careful with the appointment of the Chair.
“I wanted to make sure it was somebody who believed that we could deliver a reform that gave us healthy rivers, strong communities and sustainable food production."
Shadow Water Minister Barnaby Joyce said if the Government had no confidence in the board it selected, how could the nation have any confidence in Labor delivering a responsible Murray-Darling Basin Plan?
“Mr Burke’s statement that he cannot sack the board seems to raise a paradox,” he said.
“If he truly cannot sack the Board then it seems peculiar that the Act can do what he wants and deliver a triple bottom line; that is an equivalence between economic, social and environmental outcomes.
“The problem I have is that he can actually sack a board member.
“The Act says that a board member’s appointment can be terminated if “the Minister is satisfied that the performance of the member has been unsatisfactory.
“If Tony Burke doesn’t understand this part of the Act how can people trust him about other parts of the Act?”
Opposition Basin Spokesman, Senator Simon Birmingham, said the Water Act may have provisions to allow the Water Minister to intervene, if he did not think the board was fulfilling its duties properly.
But he said ultimately, Mr Burke had to express confidence in the board’s ability to deliver a balanced final plan, other wise Basin residents would lack confidence in the ongoing water reform process.
“There’s clearly been a degree of pressure applied to the board to think about their own positions and they will make their own decisions in that regard, but Tony Burke does have the capacity to act if he doesn’t have confidence in the board,” he said.
“It would be a big call but if he thinks they are not interpreting the Act the way he thinks the Act should be interpreted, which has been his claim, that would be grounds (for removing board members) and there are provisions for him to dismiss board members if he wanted to.
“Politically that would be a big step but it’s clear he is, together with Craig Knowles, trying to stare a few of them down and pressure a few of them out.
“But wether any more of them are willing to budge is a different matter.
“That in part probably depends how comfortable they are and how much they think they will be asked, to endorse something that differs from what they endorsed previously.
“That’s a bit of an unknown quantity I guess.
“A couple of them may well be quite comfortable endorsing something that’s quite different and seems more balanced, but then a couple of them may be uncomfortable with doing that.
“I did go through at length at the last (Senate) estimates and (Rob) Freeman confirmed that board decisions were majority decisions, including the plan, and (Craig) Knowles has a casting vote in that regard.
“You could have a couple of out-layers and it won’t stop a balanced outcome.”
Mr Birmingham said at some point, Mr Burke had to declare confidence in the MDBA board.
He said if the Minister responsible didn’t have confidence in the board, “how on earth are the Basin communities expected to?”
“If there’s a lack of confidence in the Authority from the Minister down, they are going to start well and truly on the back foot, in terms of delivering a revised plan.”
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