It’s time to restore public trust in the governing of the Murray Darling Basin

Fish deaths in the Darling River have once more raised the public profile of incessant political controversies about the Murray Darling Basin. These divisive debates reveal the deeply contested nature of reforms to water policy in the Basin.

Going all the way back: rules for the Murray
Darling Basin are in Australia’s constitution.

It feels like Australia has been here before – algae blooms are not uncommon in these rivers. In 1992, the Darling suffered the world’s largest toxic algal bloom, over 1,000 kilometres long. This crisis became an iconic catalyst, and helped prompt the state and federal governments agreeing to water reforms in 1994.

Hopefully, our current crisis may be an opportunity to shine a strong light on the complexities of governing the Basin, and initiate the meaningful reforms needed to restore public trust.

Read the story from The Conversation by a PhD candidate from RMIT University, Jason Alexandra - “It’s time to restore public trust in the governing of the Murray Darling Basin.”