In fact, council will formally encourage all MDA non-member councils in our region to join the association.
Council also resolved, on the motion of Crs Bronwyn Thomas and Fred Longmire at its February meeting, to write to local, state and federal members of parliament to lobby for MDA’s bid in order to provide effective consultation and engagement with councils.
Federation Council Mayor Pat Bourke, General Manager Adrian Butler and Crs Thomas and Longmire attended a strategic planning workshop in Echuca from February 1 to 3.
With MDA’s representation spanning from such areas as Albury to Adelaide, Cr Thomas said it would be great if Federation Council could host a workshop. Council will put its name forward accordingly.
Attended by some 70 other councils across the Murray Darling Basin catchment, the Echuca-hosted workshop was held to develop the next strategic plan for the MDA.
“The MDA is the peak representative body for local government across the basin and a big theme of the workshop was that for the MDA to do more, it needs more resources,” Mr Butler said at council’s monthly meeting on February 19.
“There was a general consensus that the body exists in order to assist the states and federal government engage with communities at the local level, and those governments therefore should financially assist towards its operations.”
The MDA is a membership-based peak representative organization representing local government and the communities across the Murray-Darling Basin, operating since 1944.
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