Results

Water management in South Australia 

Peter Cullen championed emerging water policy in SA and provided a range of challenges to the National Water Initiative.  Recommendations in his residency led to a wide range of government responses, including the appointment of an independent Commissioner in 2006 to lead the way in reforming the management of the Murray Darling system, providing unbiased advice and a commitment to a ‘one river’ approach.  The appointment demonstrated that South Australia was leading the way in reform of how the Basin is managed.  

An independent Murray-Darling Basin authority announced by the Prime Minister and Premier on 23 February 2007 took this principle a step further again.  Agreement on an independent authority was a key outcome for South Australia who advocated strongly for this position.

Peter recommended an Ecological study of Lower River Murray and Coorong.  This resulted in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLAMM) Futures project which was a research cluster undertaking the first comprehensive ecological research program ever to have taken place in the Coorong and Lower Lakes region. It is the largest Australian research project looking at the response of estuarine waterbirds and fish to environmental flows.