AGFORCE

Murray Darling Basin plan

In December 2008, the Basin states passed legislation to enable the Australian Government to amend the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, in doing so the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) assumed responsibility for all of the functions of the former Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC).

The establishment of the MDBA means that for the first time a single agency is responsible for planning integrated management of water resources of the Murray Darling Basin. The Authority is implementing decisions made by the six member authority, Ministerial Council and Basin Official Committee relating to the following key functions:

• Preparing the Basin Plan, including setting sustainable limits on water that can be taken from surface and groundwater systems across the Basin;
• Advising the Minister on the accreditation of state water resource plans;
• Developing a water rights information service which facilitates water trading across the MDB;
• Measuring and monitoring water resources in the Basin;
• Gathering information and undertaking research;
• Engaging the community in the management of the Basin’s resources;
• The functions of the Authority are an integral element of the Federal Government’s $12.9 billion Water for the Future Program.

So what is the Basin Plan?

The MDBA is responsible for the overall preparation, implementation and enforcement of the Basin Plan. The Basin Plan will be a strategic plan for the integrated and sustainable management of water resources in the Murray Darling Basin. The MDBA will prepare the plan, as required by the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, with the first draft to be released mid-2010 for planned commencement in 2011. The Commonwealth Water Act 2007 requires the content of the Plan to include:

• Limits on the amount of water (both surface water and groundwater) that can be taken from Basin water resources on a sustainable basis;
• Identification of risks to Basin water resources, such as climate change, and strategies to manage those risks;
• Requirements that State Water Resource Plans will need to comply with if they are to be accredited under this Act;
• An environmental watering plan to optimise environmental outcomes for the Basin;
• A water quality and salinity management plan;
• Rules about trading of water rights in relation to Basin water resources.

The Basin Plan will be complemented by water resource plans prepared by Basin states and provided to the Commonwealth Minister for accreditation; it will also play an important role in identifying responsibilities for managing risks related to reduced water availability and changes in reliability of supply.

Click here to read more about what the Murray Darling Basin Plan will mean for you.

AgForce submission

To read the AgForce submission to Sustainable Diversion Limits issues paper, log in via the Members Login button (located at the top right of the screen).

Want to know more?

Useful links:
Murray Darling Basin Authority Website
Department of Environment Water Heritage and Arts – Rural Water
Department of Environment Water Heritage and Arts – Water Entitlement Buyback Program

Fact Sheets:
Basin Plan Fact Sheet
The Murray Darling Basin Authority Members
Sustainable Diversion Limits and the Impacts of Environmental Water Purchases
The Basin Plan Community Committee
Water Quality and Salinity Management Plan
Sustainable Diversion Limits Issues Paper
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
Assessing Environmental Water Needs of the Basin
Basin Salinity Management Strategy
CSIRO Climate Scenarios for Basin Plan Modelling
Commonwealth Water Act