PRESS STATEMENT NO.
2 March 1973
RIVER MURRAY COMMISSION
The Prime Minister announced today that at the request
of the Premier of South Australia a meeting had been held
between the Premiers of New South Wales, Victoria and South
Australia and himself concerning the River Murray, the existing
powers of the River Murray Commission and the problems which had
arisen in ensuring water quality in the River Murray. The meeting
was also attended by the Hon. Moss Cass, Australian Minister
for the Environment and Conservation, the Hon. G. F. Freudenste'n,
the New South Wales Minister for Conservation, the ilono
Roberts Dunstan, the Victorian Minister of Water Supply,
the Hlon. J. D. Corcoran, the South Australian Ministej w-.
Works. The Prime Minister said that the original River Murray
Waters Agreement had been signed in 1914 and at that time : hce
major factor in interstate disputes had been navigation and
quantitites of water shared between the States. Although quite
a number of amendments had been made to the Agreement since that
cime it had become apparent that a 1973 model was now necessary
because of the vast changes in circumstances which had occurred
since the original Agreement was signed.
Increased use of the River's available water resources
has led to more complex problems involving not only the
availability of water but the quality of water in the river.
Problems include increasing salinity, pollution by pesticides.
weedicides and fertilizers; also the need to prevent pollu-cio...
from new and growing urban areas Albury/ Wodonga and Mon-o,.
The meeting agreed to establish a working party of senio.
officials of the Australian and State Governments concerned witLthe
following terms of reference
1. Examine and recommend in an initial report
urgent interim measures which might be
implemented in the short term to deal with
the salinity problems of the River Murray
waters and the means by which those measures
might be financed and operated.,
2. Examine and recommend types of measures which
need to be taken to protect and where
necessary improve the quality of the River
Murray waters in respect of long term
salinity control, and other forms of
water pollution.
3. Examine and recommend changes which would be
required in the River Murray Waters Agreement
to enable the River Murray Commission to
undertake the measures referred to in 2.
4. Enquire into and report on other matters
referred to it by the Steering Committee.
Membership of the Working Party shall comprise
one official each from the Australian Government
and the State Governments. The Australian
Government will provide the Secretariat.
6. The Working Party is empowered to create
sub-Committees and to co-opt as necessary
to fulfill the above Terms of Reference.
7. An initial report is to be made by the Working
Party to the Steering Committee within six
months. The Steering Committee shall comprise the following
Ministers: The Australian Minister for the Environment
and Conservation,
The New South Wales Minister for Conservation,
The Victorian Minister of Water Supply,
The South Australian Minister of Works.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.