Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Institutional arrangements
The MDBC is not a statutory authority, it is not subject to corporations law, nor is it a
traditional government department. It is a unique unincorporated joint venture which
requires unanimous agreement for significant decisions and which actively supports a
government-community partnership for implementing effective natural resources
planning and management in the basin. Its charter is to
Promote and co-ordinate effective planning and management for the equitable,
efficient and sustainable use of the water, land and other environmental resources.
The structure
The current framework is based on the philosophy of integrated catchment
management not solely river management. The Murray-Darling Basin Agreement
established a Ministerial Council and Commission, and a Community Advisory
Committee to report to the Council (Figure 4). The Ministerial Council is the primary
body responsible for providing policy and direction to implement the Murray-Darling
Basin Initiative. It consists of ministers holding land, water and environment portfolios in
each contracting government. Their main functions are to consider and determine major
policy issues concerning the use of the basin's land, water and other environmental
resources, and to develop, consider and authorise (as appropriate) measures to achieve the
purpose of the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement. The Community Advisory Committee
provides the Ministerial Council with advice and provides a two-way communication
channel between the Council and the community and consists of a chair, catchment and
special interest representatives. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission includes an
independent president and commissioners/ deputy commissioners representing each
contracting government (senior executives from land, water and environment agencies).
The council, commissioners and Community Advisory Committee are also supported
through the commission office which contains technical and support staff. There is a
comprehensive network of supporting committees, which support and address particular
issues, through jurisdictional representatives.
The Murray-Darling Basin Agreement requires unanimous decisions. This can be
both time-consuming and challenging.
Applying this structure
Given the inter-jurisdictional nature of the issues to be resolved and the significant
impacts of these, the structure of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission works well. It
has survived in various forms for over 90 years, which suggests that it provides the
appropriate framework for canvassing issues.
A structure loosely modelled on the Murray-Darling Basin Commission has been
established by the Mekong River Commission, whose four member countries, Cambodia,
Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam, came together in 1995. It maintains dialogue with the
two upper states of China and Myanmar. It has a structure of a Council, Joint Committee
(JC) and Secretariat. The Mekong River Commission member countries agree to co-
operate in all fields of sustainable development, utilisation, management and conservation
of the water and related resources of the Mekong River Basin, such as navigation, flood
control, fisheries, agriculture, hydropower and environmental protection.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search