Home Parliamentary Business Committees Senate Committees Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Completed inquiries and reports Completed inquiries 2008-10 Water management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes (including consideration of the Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008)

Water management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes (including consideration of the Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008)

10 October 2008

View the report as a single document - (PDF 1280KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Members of the Committee	(PDF 107KB)

Abbreviations	(PDF 111KB)

Chapter 1 - Introduction	(PDF 123KB)
Terms of Reference Scope Conduct of the Inquiry Acknowledgements

Chapter 2 - Background	(PDF 292KB)
Introduction Geography Lake Alexandrina Lake Albert The Coorong Ecosystem The Barrages Water management The Murray-Darling Basin Water availability Land use Environmental conditions Water management in the Basin Water sharing arrangements Interim water sharing arrangements Water entitlements Water trading The Water Act 2007

Chapter 3 - The problems facing the Coorong and Lower Lakes	(PDF 589KB)
The current drought The pace of water reform Impact on the Lower Lakes and Coorong Lower Lakes Acid sulfate soils Salinity The Coorong Economic and social impact Current management of the Lower Lakes and Coorong The Living Murray Initiative MDBC Ministerial Council Initiatives Commonwealth Government Initiatives

Chapter 4 - Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008	(PDF 157KB)
Introduction Provisions of the bill Powers of the minister in relation to management of Basin water resources Issues raised by the bill Interim plan Acquisition of rights and entitlements Failure to comply

Chapter 5 - Possible Solutions	(PDF 246KB)
Introduction Increase fresh water flows Committee view Rainfall Committee view The Murray-Darling Acquisition of water on the temporary water market Compulsory acquisition Public storage Menindee Lakes Lake Victoria Snowy River Weir pool levels Adelaide Goulburn River pipeline Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges Groundwater Treated effluent Committee view Sea water Sea water options Temporary additions Divide the lakes Long term management arrangements Permanently open the barrages The Coorong Committee view Drying and remediation Committee views

Chapter 6 - Conclusion	(PDF 179KB)

Minority Report - The Australian Greens & Senator Nick Xenophon	(PDF 272KB)
Introduction – a 'wicked' problem A tricky balancing act Healthy communities rely on a healthy river The threat to the Coorong and Lower Lakes Ruling out the salt water option for the Lower Lakes Prognosis and prospects for the Lower Lakes A very near miss? Where is there water in the system? The Sugarloaf Pipeline Opportunities in stormwater harvesting Hyper-salinity in the southern Coorong The Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008 Constitutional Powers A Time for Action

Coalition Senators' Additional Comments	(PDF 236KB)
Background Immediate requirements of the Lower Lakes Immediate action for the Coorong The Wellington Weir The Goolwa & Lower Lakes Communities Water buybacks, infrastructure spending and future planning Urban water supplies Broken Hill & Menindee Lakes Adelaide Melbourne and the Surgarloaf or North-South Pipeline

Appendix 1 - List of Submissions	(PDF 89KB)

Appendix 2 - Witnesses who appeared before the committee at the public hearings	(PDF 117KB)

Appendix 3 - Tabled Documents	(PDF 118KB)

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3511

Fax: +61 2 6277 5811

Email: rrat.sen@aph.gov.au

Phone:	+61 2 6277 3511
Fax:	+61 2 6277 5811
Email:	rrat.sen@aph.gov.au