MDA chief executive Mark Lamb and Region 2 chair Geoff Dobson led the meeting.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Region 2 Murray Darling Association’s members gathered at Murray River Council on Thursday, May 1 to discuss basin issues.
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Region 2 is made up of Murray River Council, Greater Shepparton City Council, Moira Shire Council, Federation Council and Murrumbidgee Council.
Councillors and representatives attended the meeting in person and online to discuss community issues and to hear from the NSW State Member for Murray Helen Dalton.
Murray Darling Association chief executive officer Mark Lamb led the meeting with a report on the past 12 months, including board member changes following the local government elections last year.
Mr Lamb said he was happy to note that the MDA was becoming more cohesive.
“One of the things I found when I came on about three-and-a-half years ago was that we had a fairly disparate board, and I don’t mean that as a criticism,” he said.
Greater Shepparton City Council councillor Geoff Akers with Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie and councillor Bianca Hurn at the meeting.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
“I’m really pleased to say that we now have a high degree of consensus.
“I’m not saying everyone agrees on every issue, but I think that when it comes to some of the key issues ... we’ve got a high degree of consensus.
“I think it’s really great to see this level of consensus, and I think we’ve now got a far more coherent board.”
Mr Lamb also encouraged councillors to prepare motions about local issues they want the MDA to advocate for at a higher level.
All motions will be presented at the national conference being held in Griffith later this year.
The Murray Darling Association’s meeting was held in Moama on Thursday, May 1
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Mrs Dalton then made an appearance via video call to talk about her seven-point approach to fixing the Murray without the need for water buybacks.
“Water buybacks are something that we all agree should not happen, we know what it does to our communities,” she said
“The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been quite contentious, we’ve all got a different view, but this one thing where we are standing together on.”
The next MDA meeting will be held on Monday, May 12 in Cobram with the MDA’s national president to attend as the guest speaker.
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