The appointment of the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board (SA MDB NRM Board) is described by River Murray Minister, Karlene Maywald, as “An exciting development designed to help deliver the most significant natural resources management initiative in the state's history.'
“The exceptional skills of the new members will add to the extensive experience and knowledge of Presiding Member, David Wotton, on issues surrounding the Murray-Darling Basin.”
The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board consists of eight community members who have been selected for their knowledge, experience and ability to effectively manage the natural resources of the region.
The Region
The SA Murray-Darling Basin region has a population of around 110,000 and covers an area of around 70,000 square kilometres.
The region supports a number of primary industries including irrigated viticulture and horticulture, broadacre dryland agriculture and fishing as well as tourism, recreation and manufacturing industries.
A large number of stakeholder and interest groups in the region present major challenges for the management of NRM in the area. As well, the requirements for cross border cooperation in the management of the entire Murray Darling Basin River system are immense.
Many towns and urban areas, including Adelaide, are heavily dependent upon the River Murray for their water supply.
Background
SA's Murray-Darling Basin has been identified as one of Australia's 21 priority salinity and water quality regions under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
Funding in excess of $19 million for delivery of the SA MDB investment was announced by the Australian and State governments for the 2005/06 year.
Numerous stakeholder groups and organisations have been involved in the management of natural resources in the SA portion of the Murray Darling Basin.
These included government agencies, soil and animal and plant control boards, catchment management organisations, Murray Darling Basin Commission, local government and industry and community groups. However, the new NRM arrangements allow for the effective unification of soil and animal and plant authorities and catchment management organizations into Natural Resources Management Boards.
Eleven Local Action Planning (LAP) committees address NRM at a district scale with the support of the project officers of the SA MDB NRM Board
who give technical advice.
As the NRM Board has developed, several key achievements have arisen out of the process of creating Resource Management Plans and the Investment Strategy. These include:
- Strengthening working relationships across the region, and with neighbouring regional NRM boards.
- Skills shared across the region.
- New partnerships and strengthened working relationships with neighbouring NRM Boards being fostered to ensure Investment Strategies are effectively implemented in 'overlap' or 'shared boundary' areas.
- Partnerships formed with Indigenous communities.
Major projects in the SA MDB NRM Plan include the rehabilitation of the Lower Murray Swamps, Salt Interception projects to combat salinisation of soil and water resources, improving water use efficiency, revegetation and remnant protection.
The program will be further developed with more on-ground activity particularly for community organisations as more funds become available.