Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I have written to Senator Simon Birmingham, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment, requesting that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority relocate itself to where the Murray and the Darling actually junction, which is in the Mildura-Wentworth region. The great member for Hinkler once said, 'If you can't look out the window and see an asset you are responsible for you should question your location.'

I believe that when people in the Public Service interact with communities they get an organic knowledge of that community. They realise that if the Murray is in trouble they are interacting with a community that also feels that the Murray is in trouble. They realise that if the Darling system needs more water or does not need more water they are living it every day with people who care about and live amongst that environment.

The Mildura-Wentworth region has many of the things they need to be based there. They have national peak bodies, like the Australian Table Grape Association right through to Citrus Australia and the Almond Board of Australia. There are also flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Broken Hill. Also, can I point out that the first barista outside of Melbourne was based in Mildura. I know the public service needs good coffee! If we locate public servants like Murray-Darling Basin Authority amongst those they seek to serve, I am confident that Australians will gain even more value out of our hard-working public service sector.

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