Senator BIRMINGHAM (8:28 PM) —I would like to echo that support for Senator Xenophon’s amendment. In some ways this is a cosmetic amendment. I am not wishing to downgrade it at all but, of course, it flows to objects of the Basin Plan and the purpose of the Basin Plan. Nonetheless, it is important that the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority be very clear in its understanding of what the objects and purpose of that Basin Plan are. Whilst the purpose, as outlined in the current act, does go through a range of associated factors that have some overlap with the amendment that Senator Xenophon has moved, it is not put so clearly and concisely. In particular, it does not provide that whole-of-basin understanding across the different factors that Senator Xenophon has raised in this amendment—across those factors of environmental, social, economic and hydrological considerations.

Yes, the current purposes of the plan and the act talk about basin-wide environmental objectives, but they then go on to specify and limit that to some extent to water dependent ecosystems rather than looking at the fulsome approach that has been proposed by Senator Xenophon. As to giving a clear message and mandate to the MDBA and ensuring that the new authority, when comprised, has a mandate to deliver the type of basin plan that will give consideration to the full basin, I endorse and echo Senator Nash’s support for Senator Xenophon’s amendment.