Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley says it “makes sense” to move part of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to Griffith.
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The Member for Farrer said people who make decisions about the basin need to live in the basin to get an understanding of communities supported by irrigation.
“Consultation with communities cannot be as good as it could be if they’re not there,” Ms Ley said.
“Griffith is a big regional city, it has an airport, it just makes sense.
“Most irrigators in southern NSW live in my electorate of Farrer and it makes sense for the (basin) authority to have a presence in towns on the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.”
The newly-returned Federal Government has yet to sit in Canberra, but Ms Ley said moving at least part of the MDBA was on her list of things to discuss with Agriculture Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
“I want it to move out of Canberra and it should move out of Canberra, but the question is what resources should we move?” she said.
“There’s an argument for some resources to move even if the headquarters remain.
“If people have to travel from Canberra to Griffith to consult with communities they can’t hope to understand what it’s like to live there.”
The suggestion of moving the authority to Griffith was welcomed by irrigator John Bonetti, who called it “fabulous news”.
“It would give them a sense first-hand of why some businesses have struggled here,” Mr Bonetti said.
“It’s important for us locally to be able to pass on what we know and get secondary industries built up in the basin.
“My only concern is whether we have the infrastructure for the wives and kids to be comfortable too, but it would be great to see on top of the 1100 jobs already announced for Griffith.”
Griffith Business Chamber water spokesman Paul Pierotti said once the MDBA was part of the social fabric of basin communities, it would have a far better grasp of the impact of water policies.
“The so-called triple-bottom-line is about people, planet and profit but it’s been too distorted toward the environment,” he said.
“Through Griffith City Council’s Economic Development Committee we’ve sent a letter to Barnaby Joyce to ask if Griffith can be the location for the move.
“It’s only reasonable after the damage the basin plan has done to the economy here to inject government money back into the city.”
Ms Ley said when NSW DPI Water had people in the area running the rivers, they had good relationships with farmers and she hoped the same could be repeated with the MDBA.