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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| NSW accused of 'running scared' after postponing review of water regulations | NSW accused of 'running scared' after postponing review of water regulations |
| (1 day later) | |
| Greens’ Jeremy Buckingham says Coalition government frightened of public scrutiny following allegations of water theft in Murray-Darling basin | |
| Gabrielle Chan | |
| Sun 6 Aug 2017 19.00 BST | |
| Last modified on Sun 6 Aug 2017 20.32 BST | |
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| Water regulations due to be reviewed and updated on 1 September have been postponed for another year by the New South Wales government following the controversy over allegations of water theft in the Barwon-Darling region of the Murray-Darling basin. | Water regulations due to be reviewed and updated on 1 September have been postponed for another year by the New South Wales government following the controversy over allegations of water theft in the Barwon-Darling region of the Murray-Darling basin. |
| The Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham accused the NSW Coalition of running scared over the recent scrutiny of state water management following the Four Corners program. | The Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham accused the NSW Coalition of running scared over the recent scrutiny of state water management following the Four Corners program. |
| Buckingham has called for an independent review of the current water rules and a complete overhaul of the act and regulations in the light of allegations of water theft and secret meetings in which senior water bureaucrat allegedly offered debranded government information to a small group of irrigators. | Buckingham has called for an independent review of the current water rules and a complete overhaul of the act and regulations in the light of allegations of water theft and secret meetings in which senior water bureaucrat allegedly offered debranded government information to a small group of irrigators. |
| “The government are running scared of the spotlight by postponing the review of the water management regulations for another year,” Buckingham told Guardian Australia. | “The government are running scared of the spotlight by postponing the review of the water management regulations for another year,” Buckingham told Guardian Australia. |
| “They obviously don’t want to review the existing broken system under the current level of public scrutiny. | “They obviously don’t want to review the existing broken system under the current level of public scrutiny. |
| “The expiration of the water regulations on 1 September should have been the perfect opportunity to reassess rules that favour irrigators over river health and communities.” | “The expiration of the water regulations on 1 September should have been the perfect opportunity to reassess rules that favour irrigators over river health and communities.” |
| The regulations govern water allocations and licensing rules. When regulations expire, the government must re-gazette new regulations, usually conducting a review in the process. Either house of the state parliament could disallow all or part of the regulations. | The regulations govern water allocations and licensing rules. When regulations expire, the government must re-gazette new regulations, usually conducting a review in the process. Either house of the state parliament could disallow all or part of the regulations. |
| A spokesman for the National party MLC, the primary industries and regional water minister, Niall Blair, said the review of water regulations are undertaken by the Parliamentary Council Office (PCO), not the Department of Primary Industries and Water. | A spokesman for the National party MLC, the primary industries and regional water minister, Niall Blair, said the review of water regulations are undertaken by the Parliamentary Council Office (PCO), not the Department of Primary Industries and Water. |
| But Buckingham said the PCO were just lawyers who drafted the regulations on advice of the NSW government. | But Buckingham said the PCO were just lawyers who drafted the regulations on advice of the NSW government. |
| “To try to shift the blame for this on to PCO is sneaky and disingenuous,” Buckingham said. | “To try to shift the blame for this on to PCO is sneaky and disingenuous,” Buckingham said. |
| “The reason these regulations expire is so that a comprehensive review can be conducted and that would normally be undertaken by the department and, in this case, should be undertaken by an independent body like the Natural Resources Commission given the level of public concern about the failure of the current water regime in NSW. | “The reason these regulations expire is so that a comprehensive review can be conducted and that would normally be undertaken by the department and, in this case, should be undertaken by an independent body like the Natural Resources Commission given the level of public concern about the failure of the current water regime in NSW. |
| “The reason the NSW government have postponed the review of the water regulations is because they are scared of the public scrutiny.” | “The reason the NSW government have postponed the review of the water regulations is because they are scared of the public scrutiny.” |
| ABC’s Four Corners program reported that billions of litres of water bought by taxpayers to return to the environment under the Murray-Darling basin plan were being allegedly pumped out by some irrigators for cotton growing in northern NSW. | ABC’s Four Corners program reported that billions of litres of water bought by taxpayers to return to the environment under the Murray-Darling basin plan were being allegedly pumped out by some irrigators for cotton growing in northern NSW. |
| Four Corners also revealed recordings of the NSW deputy director general of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Gavin Hanlon, allegedly offering to share internal “debranded” government information with a group of irrigators via a Dropbox account. Hanlon has referred the matter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac). | Four Corners also revealed recordings of the NSW deputy director general of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Gavin Hanlon, allegedly offering to share internal “debranded” government information with a group of irrigators via a Dropbox account. Hanlon has referred the matter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac). |
| NSW is also under pressure after allegations last week that Blair was trying to change the Barwon Darling water-sharing plan to accommodate the needs of National party supporters, a claim his office denied. | NSW is also under pressure after allegations last week that Blair was trying to change the Barwon Darling water-sharing plan to accommodate the needs of National party supporters, a claim his office denied. |
| Buckingham said the government had yet to undertake public consultation and needed to come clean about what discussions they were having behind closed doors with the irrigation lobby. | Buckingham said the government had yet to undertake public consultation and needed to come clean about what discussions they were having behind closed doors with the irrigation lobby. |
| “This is just another example of the National party putting their irrigator mates and donors ahead of the public interest,” he said. | “This is just another example of the National party putting their irrigator mates and donors ahead of the public interest,” he said. |
| Murray-Darling Basin | |
| New South Wales politics | |
| New South Wales | |
| Australian Greens | |
| Water | |
| news | |
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