Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

We believe that it should generally be the responsibility of governments to enforce the law. In this context where we are setting up an authority made up of independent experts, specifically to make and enforce the plan, which cannot be directed with respect to enforcement action, it is particularly appropriate that it have the sole enforcement role. This argument is even stronger, given that the basin plan will represent a balancing of competing interests.

The government does not agree there is a need for public standing provisions in the bill. Such provisions would run the risk that the basin plan, a central factor in providing certainty over water access entitlements, could be held up in the courts, and we believe that not to be appropriate. Rather, the government has included in the bill a comprehensive framework to ensure that all interested parties may have input to the basin plan and that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the minister must take account of all issues raised during the consultation process.