ONE of Australia’s foremost barristers, Bret Walker, has been appointed by Governor Hieu Le to lead the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission.
The appointment follows the state government’s call for the Commonwealth to establish a Royal Commission, which was rejected.
In November, the MBD Water Compliance Review and a number of widespread alligations revealed the upstream states and the federal government were ignoring water theft and failing to enforce the MDBP.
As a result, the state government decided it would proceed with its own Royal Commission.
Mr Walker will now commence his work and will have the discretion to release interim reports as necessary.
Water minister Ian Hunter said there was no excuse for upstream states and irrigators continuing to delay the implementation of the plan.
“Just this month, an Ernst & Young report found delivering the MDBP in full is not only possible, but would deliver positive socio-economic benefits for communities, farms and businesses that rely on the river system,” he said.
It is expected that the final report will be completed by February 1, 2019.
