The federal government has launched another inquiry into the Murray-Darling basin plan.
The Senate’s rural and regional affairs committee is currently considering the social and economic effects of proposed commonwealth water buybacks in irrigation communities along the ailing river system.
On Friday, Water Minister Tony Burke launched an additional investigation into the revised draft plan of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, released earlier this week.
He asked the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia to consider the potential role of new environmental projects in offsetting the proposed limits on water taken from the river system.
Committee chair Tony Windsor urged submissions, due by Friday June 15, to be focussed.
“We have conducted an extensive inquiry into the basin plan last year; this is not a repeat inquiry, but an additional focus point,” he said in a statement.
On Monday the authority released proposed changes to its draft plan, following 20 weeks of consultation with communities and stakeholders.
The revised plan includes more than 300 changes, including new provisions, but does not propose changing the water recovery target of 2750 gigalitres per year.
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