It has taken some time, but the three reports that might have a bearing on what happens regarding agricultural drainage across the Northern Rivers have finally been publicly released –
- John Culleton’s Report, Northern Rivers Agricultural Drainage Review.
- Marine Estate Management Strategy: The Coastal Flood Plain Drainage Project Options Report
- Research from the University of NSW https://www.wrl.unsw.edu.au/research/nsw-coastal-floodplain-prioritisation-project
The three reports focus on different matters and that’s to be expected given that the terms of reference for the three pieces of work were different – John Culleton’s report tries to identify all of the factors that have contributed to the current state of the drainage; Marine Estate Management’s focus is on regulatory arrangements; and the UNSW research addresses the impact of rising sea levels over time.
We will have to wait and see what the Government will do now that it has these three reports and if any distinction will be made between fixing the most immediate problems, or will everything remain on hold until decisions around regulatory frameworks and the future of land use on coastal floodplains are definitively determined.