Green light for Murray-Darling management bill
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Federal management...the Basin and its surrounding regions have struggled through drought. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
The Federal Government's bill to set up a national authority to manage water in the Murray-Darling Basin has passed Parliament.
The Opposition backed down on its amendment blocking the controversial Victorian North-South pipeline and voted with the Government.
Water Minister Penny Wong says the Senate process has not delayed setting up the Authority by next year.
"We have already appointed, on an acting basis, a chief executive officer," she said.
"We will get on with the work of making sure that authority is up and running, so we can start the important work of preparing the first ever basin-wide plan which will include for the first time a cap based on science."
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