SA’s Commissioner for the River Murray
Leading environmental and water lawyer Dr Emma Carmody has been appointed the new Commissioner for the River Murray in South Australia – bringing her wealth of knowledge to the role and becoming a strong advocate for SA on the national stage.
Dr Carmody replaces inaugural Commissioner Richard Beasley SC, who stood up for South Australia’s interests for full Basin Plan delivery at the national level.
As Commissioner, Dr Carmody will:
- Stand up for the health of the River Murray, including the Lower Lakes, Murray Mouth and the Coorong. This may include engaging with the media, key stakeholders, First Nations, jurisdictional ministers and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
- Advocate for full delivery of the current Murray-Darling Basin Plan, including the final 450 gigalitres of water recovery required under the Plan; and, as part of Basin Plan and other review processes, advocate for outcomes that reflect an Environmentally Sustainable Level of Take in line with current statutory requirements.
- Assist the South Australian Government to further improve the transparency of information provided about the management of the River Murray and the communication of River Murray related outcomes, directions and issues.
- Prepare an Annual Report.
- Any other functions as agreed between the Government Party and the Consultant.
The Department for Environment and Water is supporting Dr Carmody in this part-time role.
Dr Carmody’s contract can be viewed here.
Any enquiries for Dr Carmody relevant to the Commissioner’s role can be directed to DEW.RiverMurrayCommissioner@sa.gov.au
Annual reports delivered by the Commissioner
The Commisioner’s annual reports describe the health of the River Murray in South Australia, achievements from the reporting period, key priorities for the coming period and key activities undertaken:
- Commissioner for the River Murray in South Australia Mr Richard Beasley SC Annual Report 2023-24
- Commissioner for the River Murray in South Australia Mr Richard Beasley SC Annual Report 2022-23
