Water Resources: Finding a Sustainable Solution for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

(Posted July 2011)

(1)  The Murray-Darling Basin river system is Australia’s longest river system.

(2)  The ecological health of this river system has long been a major environmental concern for Australia.

(3)  The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is an agreement on managing water flows down the river system.

(4)  But, the future management of the Basin’s water resources under the Plan has been associated with controversy: Controversy that reflects positions held by competing land use interests: Either ecological health OR socio-economics – rather than the inter-dependence and mutual support between them.

(5)  Yet, the Federal statute, the Water Act 2007, imposes a legal obligation for “the use and management of the Basin water resources in a way that optimises economic, social and environmental outcomes”.

It is clear a sustainable solution is needed.  A problem-solving approach

is presented in the following article for resolving this conflict.

It is based on cross-disciplinary principles: Science/law/conflict resolution.

Scholarly Article by Dr Ted Christie: “Finding a Sustainable Outcome for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: An Alternative Pathway for Resolving State Water Rights and Extraction of Water”: (2011) 31 Queensland Lawyer 82

© 2011 Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Limited.

(i)  Read the ABSTRACT of the article.

(ii)  Click on the following LINK for the publisher's site to download the full article.