The Member for Cootamundra has thrown her support behind a Bill to make water asset ownership more transparent.
The NSW Government’s Water Accountability and Transparency Bill has passed in the Legislative Assembly to allow public oversight of all declarations of water ownership in the NSW Parliament.
Steph Cooke MP said it was vital this important information be made public.
“Water is one of our most basic human needs, and the NSW Government has invested billions into improving water security and quality in our regions,” Ms Cooke said.
“But it is also vital we improve transparency in who owns water, particularly amongst our representatives, and we need to rebuild community confidence in water management.”
The Member for Cootamundra gave a speech supporting this Bill in Parliament last night which can be found here.
The Constitution Amendment (Water Accountability and Transparency) Bill 2020 will amend the Constitution (Disclosures by Members)Regulation 1983 to make it clear that Members of Parliament must disclose interests in water assets as a pecuniary interest. It will also begin the process of reforming the public register, whilst protecting the privacy of farmers.
