The Murray-Darling Basin Authority acted unlawfully and water allocations must undergo a complete overhaul across the system, a South Australian royal commission has found.
The commission report released on Thursday found river allotments were driven by politics and accused the basin authority board of maladministration over its disregard for science.It said water levels must be made on a scientific basis and in accordance with reconstructed water laws.
It also wants uniform penalties between basin states for irrigators who don't comply with regulations.
The South Australia-based royal commission's 736-page final report includes 111 findings and 44 recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
See next week's Country News for more.