Australasian Journal of Environmental Management
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‘Crying for our Country’: eight ways in which ‘Caring for our Country’ has undermined Australia's regional model for natural resource management
This report is the Ecological Character Description (ECD) for the Currawinya Lakes
Ramsar site. Prepared in accordance with the National Framework document, the
report identifies the critical ecosystem services/benefits, processes and components
of the wetland and identifies limits of acceptable change, knowledge gaps and
monitoring recommendations in relation to these critical elements.
Introduction — the purpose of the Guide
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (the Authority) is preparing the Guide to the proposed Basin Plan to present proposals to the community for discussion. These proposals are about the key decisions the Authority is required to make under the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth), in particular the new limits on water that can be taken from the Basin, known as long-term average sustainable diversion limits (SDLs), which will apply to both surface water and groundwater. The proposed Basin Plan (a legislative instrument) will be released later this year or early next year. This document sets out proposals on the main issues in the plan.
The Authority is endorsing the issuing of the overview, noting that it represents a set of proposals based on the information provided to the Authority by its staff, state and federal governments, stakeholders, consultants and others. A technical background to the Guide (volume 2) provides greater scientific detail, with 19 regional guides dealing with the specifics of each region and the proposals as they affect each region. Volume 2 and the regional guides are being approved for release by the chief executive. The Authority is interested in the views of the community and stakeholders on the proposals in the Guide and on the quality of data and evidence used and the analysis that has been undertaken. The Authority will consider any feedback in finalising the Basin Plan.
The Bulloo Shire like all areas has introduced pest plants and feral animals. The Bulloo Shire is fortunate with controllable infestations of weeds, however there is a possibility for this to change with large infestation of weeds in the upper catchments of the Bulloo and Cooper Creek river systems (outside the shire) threatening to move downstream. Increasing tourism and in particular the current drought situation have the potential to increase the likelihood of weed seed spread into the Shire.
As a result the management of pests has to be planned for maximum impact whilst using the least resources. This will mean controlling emerging problems and using continued vigilance against potential problems both inside and outside the Bulloo Shire boundaries.
It is hoped that the formulation of this plan will result in better utilisation of available resources and give ownership of the pest management process to the local council and the community. Thus the control of introduced pests may be returned to those the problem affects most.
