Murray plan would beat challenge: govt

3 Jun 2012, 2:31 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Murray Darling Basin. (AAP)

Murray Darling Basin. (AAP)

The federal government is confident it can withstand any High Court challenge to a contentious plan to restore the health of the Murray-Darling.

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The federal government is confident it can withstand any High Court challenge to a contentious plan to restore the health of the Murray-Darling.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill is vehemently opposed to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's (MDBA) third draft plan, released on Monday, and has threatened to launch a High Court challenge if environment minister Tony Burke signs off on it.

Mr Burke says he will continue to negotiate with the basin states on the plan.

"But I reserve powers to be able to sign off on a final plan, even if I don't believe we've got the agreement of the states," he told the Ten Network on Sunday.

He added he hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Asked if he was confident the plan would withstand a High Court challenge, Mr Burke said he was.

"The latest version that has come out is an improvement," he said.

"They (the MDBA) have fixed some of the ground water problems that I was concerned about."

Additional improvements would be added to a final plan.

The plan that was released on Monday followed 20 weeks of consultation with communities and stakeholders.

It includes more than 300 changes, including new provisions, but does not propose changing the water recovery target of 2750 gigalitres per year.


 

Murray Darling Basin , Jay Weatherill , Tony Burke

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Your Comments

Finding the Balance.

True Blue Ozzie - from Gladstone, 12 months ago

While something must be done to keep our waterway's alive, we must also consider the people who have built there lives around this vital water supply. We cant just turn off the tap to these people's livelihood's, just because a few say using the water is wrong! There should'nt be a rush to sign off on something so important, instead the parties should take what ever time is needed until there is an all round agreement. Government bulling seem;s to be Labor's way of sloving problems.

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