MINISTER PRAISES WORK OF COMMUNITY IN WATER PLANNING

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace has applauded the work of Community Reference Panels (CRPs) in securing water for all Queenslanders.

“Consultation is integral to the water resource planning process. Regional communities, industry and other stakeholders, including conservationists and indigenous groups, all have a role to play,’’ he said.

“A key aspect is the work of the Community Reference Panel, made up of members representing economic, cultural and environmental interests within the catchment.

“The CRP brings to the table the aspirations and concerns of the people living in the catchment and ensures their views are considered during the planning process.’’

Mr Wallace said draft water resource planning work was underway in catchments including the Baffle Basin.

“The CRP looking into this draft water resource plan has met five times, including a two-day meeting which concludes today,’’ he said.

The meeting, held at Agnes Water, was attended by 12 CRP members from within the Baffle Basin WRP area.

Previous CRP meetings have been held in other parts of the plan area.

“Issues covered in these meetings add to the development of the draft Baffle Basin WRP which is due to be released by the end of the year.’’

Mr Wallace said the water resource planning process also allowed for the creation of a Technical Advisory Panel to support the work of the CRP.

“The TAP evaluates the best available information on aquatic ecosystems and assesses environmental implications of different water allocation scenarios,’’ he said.

“The panel’s scientific advice is also considered in developing the final plan.’’

Mr Wallace said once a draft water resource plan was finalised, it was published and circulated for community comment.

“Two rounds of community submissions are invited,’’ he said.

“The first round occurs once the intention to prepare a plan is announced. The next phase is after a draft plan is released.

“In the case of the Baffle Basin, I expect a draft plan to be released by the end of this year for widespread community comment.’’

Depending on the complexity of both of these water planning processes, they can generally take up to two years to complete.

Water resource plans apply for a 10-year period with the first water resource plans established in Queensland – the 1999 Fitzroy Basin and Cooper Creek plans – now undergoing their 10-year reviews.

Media contact: Clare Gillic, Minister Wallace’s office, 3896 3688 or 0404 133 242.