SA steps towards federal control of Murray
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River Murray ... one step closer to Commonwealth control. (user submitted: Sheelagh Baker)
A bill to refer the South Australian Government's powers over the River Murray to the Commonwealth has passed Parliament's Lower House.
The legislation will allow a single authority to be set up to manage the Murray-Darling River System.
The bill was passed without amendment and now heads to the Legislative Council.
The River Murray Minister, Karlene Maywald, says the transfer of powers will benefit the environment and help secure water for the future.
"It is an extremely important piece of legislation that takes us through to a new age in relation to the management of the Murray-Darling Basin, this is the first government in 100 years that has been able to achieve a referral of powers to the Commonwealth for water in the Murray-Darling Basin," she said.
"Shame on the governments over the last 100 years for not having done it, the fact of the matter is we can't change that, I can't change the history.
"What I can do and what this Government has done is actually change the now for the betterment of the future of this nation, for the betterment of supply to all our communities and for the betterment of the environment."
The bill is also before parliaments in other Murray-Darling Basin states and must be passed by next month.
