McVeigh welcomes MDBA expansion to Toowoomba

MEMBER for Groom John McVeigh has welcomed the announcement from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) regarding the opening a regional office in Toowoomba.

The new office is part of an initiative to improve information exchange between the organisation and regional communities within the Murray-Darling Basin.

Dr McVeigh said opening an office in Toowoomba was a strategic decision that would pay dividends for the MDBA.

“Having an office in the northern headwaters of the Murray-Darling Basin makes perfect sense,” Dr McVeigh said.

“The MDBA has been trialling regional engagement officers and this decision will complement that exercise,” he said

“The Upper Condamine River Catchment is among the most diverse ecological and agricultural systems in Australia.

“Better communication between the MDBA and water users will result in more responsible and sustainable management of our water assets.”

“Agricultural producers will welcome this common-sense decision which reflects a ‘fair dinkum’ respect for regional areas.”

Dr McVeigh, who has just been named chair of the new Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation, says he has been watching the MDBA example very closely.

“I have been engaged with local irrigators over a host of aspects of the MDBA allocation review,” he said.

“Having a local resource to call on and build relationships with will make a substantial difference to local irrigators when talking through this region’s very specific issues.

“This will result in better policy and program decisions through better consideration of local impacts.

Dr McVeigh said around 30 employees were expected to voluntarily relocate to regional offices within the next two years – about 10% of the MDBA total staff.