Some have said that since Craig Knowles was appointed Chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), there has been a subtle shift in the way they do business.
He presented a strident case for that himself at a talk given at the University of Canberra, at the invitation of MDBFutures.
MDBA Chairman, Craig Knowles speaking at the University of Canberra
In his speech on the implementation of the Basin Plan, Chairman Knowles included the standard rhetoric and political sniping we expect from this savvy former politician.
His speech also included a run down of the processes in play for the next couple of years – determination of Sustainable Diversion Limit offsets, work on constraints, the debut of new water trading rules, sorting the Environmental Watering Strategy – noting that a lot of these are new and untested, so present their own challenges.
But what I found interesting were his reflections on the lessons learned from the ill-fated release of the Guide to the Basin Plan in 2010 and how they inform the MDBA’s operations today.
Here is what Craig Knowles says the MDBA has learned:
Science
and evidence are crucial to making the broader case
Each State still asserts they have the best system, but Chairman Knowles says they can’t all be right. Not at the same time. Therefore evidence and science is crucial to underpinning the basis of the Plan.
But
without community support, science and evidence are not enough
Community support can be built through a range of mechanisms, from demystifying river operations through media and school programs, to placing localism at the centre of implementation; empowering local communities to take ownership of the change.
Policy
makers must look at the totality of the picture, not be sidetracked by sectoral
interests
Chairman Knowles stated that communities could see through the “large stakeholder groups” messages that resist change. And State Governments traditionally protect their own turf. But policy makers must rise above the political, or State driven issues to create a Plan for the nation. Chairman Knowles reiterated the Basin Plan is something we should ALL do, not something the federal government should do.
Time
is important
And the time for people to adapt to change is crucial, recognising change is going to be very difficult for some communities.
People
count!
And they should be heard. Policy makers should at least consider, and where possible, incorporate their views. People must be engaged with in ways that mean something to them.
Never
waste a crisis
A crisis creates urgency that can have the effect of shifting people from entrenched positions to find a solution.
Leadership
and bipartisan behaviour are crucial ingredients to framing the debates.
Strong leadership and bipartisanship take the heat out of the debate. It also sends a signal to stakeholders that the debate must move on from ingrained views.
So what do you think?
Has the MDBA learned lessons from their early efforts to develop the Basin Plan?
Or is it business as usual, dressed up as change?
