The community meeting is being hosted by the Murray Regional Strategy Group, and will be attended by irrigators, riparian landholders, small business owners and interested community members.
It is open to the public but registration would be appreciated.
The aim is to provide MRSG with local feedback to assist in preparing its submission for the 2026 Basin Plan Review.
The meeting will be addressed by MRSG chair Geoff Moar and consultant Claire Miller, a water policy specialist who has been engaged to help develop the submission.
MRSG executive officer Shelley Scoullar said communities across the Murray region of the Southern Basin know there are significant problems with the Basin Plan that need to be addressed.
“But we don’t want our submission to focus solely on what is wrong with the plan; we want to present solutions that can make it better for the environment, for national food production and for our local communities,” Mrs Scoullar said.
She said there had already been considerable discussion among MRSG members about the submission, but it was important to have a perspective from individuals who have been impacted by the Basin Plan.
“For example, we know there have been significant social and economic impacts, and there are concerns this is not being adequately addressed in the review.
“So, how do we highlight these impacts and support advocacy for policy settings that support our communities?”
Mrs Scoullar said it is clear to many people with sound knowledge of Basin Plan history and implementation that it was not entirely based on accurate scientific modelling, and an effective review needs to acknowledge the shortcomings and work positively towards addressing them.
“There is the complex issue around constraints, with river capacity limits restricting the volumes of water that can be delivered to South Australia.
“If we cannot deliver the water, why do we have buybacks that effectively transfer water from productive use to storage in dams?
“In recent years there has been an insatiable appetite for buybacks, which cut food production and therefore national food security.
“At the same time, questions are being asked around the effective use of water that has been recovered, and whether the Basin Plan has delivered sufficient complementary projects that benefit the environment.
“The European carp problem, which is exacerbated by the ‘just add water’ approach that has been taken, continues unchecked because it’s in the ‘too hard basket’.
“Quite simply, we will not improve the Basin environment until we address carp proliferation.”
Mrs Scoullar added these were just a sample of the issues to be discussed at the community forum, with others being an opportunity to review current international treaties, including RAMSAR, and infrastructure solutions at the end of the system which could help improve the Coorong and Lower Lakes environment.
“And central to it all is a need to effectively manage and use the water that has been recovered before any more is purchased, with a focus on outcomes rather than volumes,” she said.
To help deliver Basin Plan solutions, MRSG has developed a ‘Murray Valley Adaptive Roadmap’, which provides a pathway to social and ecological outcomes through efficient water use for people and nature. Copies will be available at the meeting.
To register for the MRSG community meeting, use the QR code being published in its advertisements and on its website, or email murrayrsg@gmail.com.
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