With things heating up in the Murray-Darling Basin regarding the Basin Plan, we’re continuing to cover Basin politics with a fascinating interview with Richard Beasley who was Senior Counsel assisting to the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Back in 2018.

In a thorough investigation in 2018, the Royal Commission found that the Basin Plan was illegal, not just on the basis of a misreading of the Water Act but also that Murray-Darling Basin Authority had engaged in maladministration, acted with negligence, fostered scientific censorship and engaged in decision making that was incomprehensible and indefensible.

In 2021, Richard Beasley published a book, Dead in the Water, which presented the findings of the Royal Commission in a way that everyone can understand. This week we jump right into the deep end with Richard to remind us about the extraordinarily convoluted and flawed process that has been the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.