The Standing Committee on Environment and Energy will tomorrow hear from Ms Jody Swirepik, the recently appointed Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, at the first public hearing for its inquiry into the management and use of Commonwealth environmental water.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has become the largest single holder of water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin, and makes decisions about how Commonwealth environmental water is managed and used for environmental gain.
The Chair of the Committee, Mr Andrew Broad MP, said that the Committee was looking forward to kicking off its program of public hearings by hearing from the Water Holder.
"As the biggest water holder in Australia, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has an important role in maintaining the health of rivers and wetlands in the Basin. The Committee is looking forward to hearing about how the Water Holder makes decisions, and how scientific research and local on-the-ground knowledge factors into the use of environmental water," Mr Broad said.
The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mr Pat Conroy MP, said that the Committee was keen to find out about the environmental outcomes that have been achieved so far through the use of environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin.
"The Commonwealth has committed a significant amount of money to acquiring water entitlements, and the Committee is seeking to ensure that this expenditure will result in improved environmental outcomes in the Basin. We are looking forward to hearing about environmental watering that has occurred to date," Mr Conroy said. ---
