Regarding: Channel 9 60 Minutes, Sunday 27 October 2019

Published: 04 November 2019   •   Media release

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is submitting a formal complaint about the ‘Water Rats’ episode of 60 Minutes. The episode and subsequent online articles on news.com.au and the 60 Minutes Facebook page also contain factual errors.

The MDBA is making this complaint as a breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, Section 3-News and Current Affairs. 3.3 Accuracy and fairness 3.3.1 – In broadcasting a news or Current Affairs Program, a licensee must present factual material accurately and ensure viewpoints included in the Program are not misrepresented.

Factual errors – 2019 Barmah-Millewa forest: The program asserted the following: there was millions and millions of water being wasted by government authorities, the river was flooding over the banks through mismanagement and deliberate flooding, the MDBA is delivering massive water sales through the Choke which caused overbank flows, this water was toxic and stagnant, mismanagement on a grand scale, and an unnamed senior ecologist said it was causing environmental damage.

The MDBA maintains the true facts are:

Factual errors – losses in 2017/18: The program stated a man-made flood occurred last year, showed satellite imaging of water lost through the Barmah forest from the government authority meant to manage it, the program then said losses were too high, and the MDBA had hidden this in a bureaucratic report.

The correct information is:

Right of reply – MDBA and its role

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://www.mdba.gov.au/media/mr/complaint-60-minutes-water-rats