The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission (royal commission) was damning in relation to the conduct of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) regarding a number of issues concerning the Basin Plan. This in turn led to the commissioner expressing views as to the governance of the MDBA, both with respect to when that authority was constituted, when the 2010 Guide to the proposed Basin Plan and 2012 Basin Plan were being prepared, and the governance of the MDBA as presently constituted.
Openness and accountability
The royal commission was highly critical in relation to what it saw as a disconnect between claimed openness and accountability on the part of MDBA, and actual openness and accountability in the conduct of MDBA.
