That is the view of the Murray Darling Association (MDA), which represents Murray-Darling Basin communities.
MDA chief executive Emma Bradbury called for a greater focus on local communities across the basin during the organisation’s annual conference last week.
“We need to extend the definition of basin governments to include all levels of government,” Ms Bradbury said.
“Local government is being consulted but largely left out of the decision-making process.
“We can’t be certain of the success of the (Murray-Darling Basin Plan) if local communities and the local governments who represent them at the coalface aren’t actively and responsibly involved in deciding how these plans roll out.”
Ms Bradbury said by recognising local leadership and local knowledge, solutions could be developed to benefit the whole basin, rather than just small sections or industry sectors.
She said there was a need to adequately prepare to give local councils in the basin a direct part in decision-making.
Ms Bradbury said basin decision-making and consultation were equally important.
“Basin communities feel that they’re over-consulted and under listened to,” Ms Bradbury said.
She said communities often got only 24 hours’ notice of consultation on basin issues and there was no consistent approach to enable local residents to be given a say in what consultation process would work best for them.
Ms Bradbury said every basin community was consulted by multiple organisations and agencies, which each brought different approaches to the process.
She said MDA recommended redefining how basin community consultation was managed, setting up a framework for effective consultation.
MDA calls for shire to rejoin
GANNAWARRA Shire Council it is no longer a member of the Murray Darling Association (MDA), having left in the middle of last decade.
MDA chief Emma Bradbury said the organisation would like to have the council back as a member.
“Our objective is to provide better outcomes for local governments in the communities we serve,” Ms Bradbury said.
“We encourage all (basin) councils to be member councils and hope to demonstrate value to them in that.”
Gannawarra Shire works closely with other members of the Murray River Group of Councils (MRGC) in discussing Murray-Darling Basin matters.
While most of the MRGC’s members are not members of the MDA, they are still represented by that organisation.
