Biography

Following a 30 year career of public service in Government, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, Social Justice, community and charity, the Honourable Troy Grant was announced as Interim Inspector-General of Water Compliance by Minister for Water the Hon Keith Pitt MP on 16 December 2020, and was appointed the Inspector-General of Water Compliance on 05 August 2021.

Mr Grant who has lived and worked in the Northern & Southern Basins for over 40 years served in the New South Wales Police Force for 22 years, achieving the rank of Inspector and holding many roles including major crime investigation, intelligence, community policing, human resources, and project management. Mr Grant was a decorated officer who served the majority of his career in the regions. He was awarded the National Police Medal, which recognises an officer’s commitment to ethical and diligent service.

Entering the 55th New South Wales Parliament in March 2011 as the 13th elected State Member for Dubbo, Mr Grant held a number of Ministerial positions, became Deputy Premier of NSW in 2014. During his time in Parliament, Mr Grant’s portfolios spanned Natural Resources, Arts, Justice, Police and Emergency Services, Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Tourism.

During Mr Grant’s parliamentary career, he initiated and oversaw a significant reform to the NSW Police Force (including governance reforms), designed and implemented the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission to streamline and strengthen law enforcement oversight and established a Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry to investigate animal welfare and integrity issues. In the Natural Resources portfolio Mr Grant over three years managed complex land and water issues involving a diverse range of stakeholders including as Chair of the Land & Water Advisory Panel leading the NSW consultation process across the Basin and Chairing the Forest Industries Taskforce. He was patron of Landcare NSW securing record funding for the organisation and was the first member to speak Wiradjuri language in the NSW Parliament.

Mr Grant retired from the NSW Ministry on 2 April 2019 and has been Managing Director of Perspective Advisory Services since May 2019. Mr Grant’s other current positions include Conjoint Professor of Practice (Public Administration) – University of Newcastle, Chairman of Integrity Assurance Committee – Racing NSW and Chairman of the International Rugby League.

Mr Grant lives in Queensland with his wife and has two adult children.

Functions and powers of the Inspector-General

The Inspector-General of Water Compliance’s functions and powers are set out in the Water Act 2007 (the Act). The Office of Water Compliance (in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) supports the Inspector-General.

Functions

The Inspector-General’s functions are set out in the Act and include:

• Oversight of other Commonwealth agencies under the Act
• Oversight of Basin State agencies under the Act
• Enforcing compliance with the Act
• Conducting inquiries into how agencies perform obligations under the Act
• Engaging with the Australian public on the management of Murray–Darling Basin water resources.

These functions focus on the integrity of the management of Basin water resources.

Powers

The Inspector-General’s powers are also set out in the Water Act. Through these powers, the Inspector-General holds governments to account for their decisions and ensure laws and rules are being complied with in the Basin.

• Taking enforcement action for illegal activities
• Conducting audits into compliance and publishing reports
• Conducting inquiries into government agencies
• Issuing standards and guidelines to be applied by government agencies.

FAQ

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