NATIONAL IRRIGATORS’ COUNCIL

POLICY PORTFOLIO - MURRAY DARLING BASIN PLAN

Advocating for the Australian irrigated agriculture industry

The Murray Darling Basin Plan

The Murray Darling Basin Plan became Commonwealth legislation in 2012.  It was enabled under the Water Act 2007.  The plan outlines the management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin, including water allocation, environmental water management, and water quality standards.

The Murray Darling Basin Plan has been amended twice since becoming law:

  • 2016: Amendments to reduce the Water Recovery targets for the Northern Basin, enable Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism and the additional 450GL of environmental water to be achieved with neutral socio-economic outcomes. 
  • 2023: Restoring Our Rivers Bill amended key timelines for implementation, broadened the environmental objectives for the additional 450GL environmental water and enables other mechanisms of recovery without the need for neutral socio-economic outcomes, and removed limits on water purchases.

The National Irrigators Council is committed to finalising the Murray Darling Basin Plan without unnecessarily burdening our industries and communities. The remaining elements of the Murray Darling Basin Plan are shared responsibility of the Australian Government with Basin jurisdictions. We endeavour to monitor their progress to keep them accountable to their promises to achieve the Murray Darling Basin Plan and its outcomes while not leaving any community behind.

Water Recovery Progress

Water recovery towards the Murray Darling Basin Plan Sustainable Diversion Limits and compliance with those limits, is monitored by the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

As reported in the August Sustainable Diversion Limit Water Take Report the Basin Plan Sustainable Diversion Limits are being achieved with all water resource plan units compliant. 

Updated progress of water recovery is summarised below. 

KEY MESSAGES

The National Irrigators' Council wants to see healthy rivers and wetlands because we are locals too and that is why we are committed to finalising the Murray Darling Basin Plan without unnecessarily burdening our industries and communities and ensuring clear environmental outcomes are achieved.

We  support Governments  focusing on delivering outcomes which benefit the environment, while ensuring local communities can thrive and our food and fibre growers can grow produce for Australians and the nations that rely on us.

We are committed to celebrating what has been achieved and keeping Government accountable to their promise to not leave any community behind. 

Policy Position Statements relating to the Murray Darling Basin Plan

Finalising the Murray Darling Basin Plan

Position Statement under review

Sustainable Diversion Limits

Position Statement under review

Constraints Management

Position Statement under review

Environmental Water Recovery

Position Statement under review

Key Related NIC Resources on the Murray Darling Basin Plan

National Irrigators' Council  is concerned that these proposed listings are being rushed prior to the Federal election (reminiscent of a previous disallowed attempt prior to the 2013 election) and that little additional work since 2013 has been provided to support the nomination despite significant improvements and other measures being taken since that previous attempt (namely the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and evolution of environmental water management in these specific regions). [...]

he Federal Government continue their pre-election rush, with a flawed buyback tender process designed to over-estimate irrigator interest in selling water to the Government as part of the Government’s relentless pursuit of buybacks to achieve the additional 450 GL of water under the Basin Plan. This is despite Minister Plibersek’s assurances that all other options, other than buybacks, were on the table. [...]

The Federal Government is again being called out for rushing through risky and untested reforms that seek to gain more power for themselves, prior to the upcoming election.  Consultation soon closes on their recent grab, to list two new areas as “endangered” under national environment law, replicating a controversial and subsequently, disallowed move by the former Labor Government in 2013. [...]

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