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

NIC today lodged their submission to DCCEEW on the Water Market reform - Intermediaries Code and Statutory Trust Account Policy Position paper with an overarching concern that the regulatory burden of this reform, particularly given its scale and pace. We are also concerned that the reform is going too far, and is becoming disproportionate to the problem at hand, and the size and extent of water markets. While market integrity, transparency and good governance are important – there is enormous risk of not striking the right balance for a proportionate policy response […]

National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) expressed its sincere gratitude to Sir Angus Houston, who has led the MDBA since 2020. Under Sir Angus' leadership, significant progress has been made in fostering better relationships with communities across the Basin, prioritising transparency, and restoring trust in the management of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
"Sir Angus Houston's dedication to listening to Basin communities and his focus on repairing relationships and trust have been crucial during a period of significant uncertainty and challenge," said Zara Lowien, CEO of NIC.[...]

The Inspector General this week released their 2022-2023 Murray Darling Basin Compliance Report.  The report states that "this compliance performance report provides a sample of common compliance activities metrics for each Basin State which will be incorporated into progressively broader reporting under a Basin-wide compliance performance reporting scheme. It is also anticipated that future reporting on compliance activities will be at the water resource plan level."  
The report provides an overview of the different approaches and outcomes to compliance in each of the Basin States. NSW reported licence holder numbers not metered percentage  (with a target of 95% underway), SA reported 98.2% of take was metered, Queensland report 74% of take was metered, in Victoria 98% was metered (and 76% telemetered), no details for ACT.  Victoria has the largest number of statutory officers, despite have the highest percentage of telemetered meters.  Victoria also had the highest number of investigations open and closed and warnings, whereas SA had the highest number and greatest value of fines.

The announcement of $160 million for Southern NSW communities targeted by Government water buybacks for an additional 450 GL, is welcomed by the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) but they warn, it will not make up for the damage.  “Removing water from agriculture has enormous flow-on impacts throughout communities, which cannot simply be patched up with one-off handouts,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien. [...]

Check out our final submission into the Inspector General of Water Compliance Inquiry into the Northern Basin Toolkit. 

The Toolkit was a multi-pronged solution developed through the Northern Basin Review to recommit government to existing requirements (Bridging the Gap requirements), fund a series of investments over-and-above the Murray Darling Basin Plan assumptions and existing levers of just adding water, enhance environmental outcomes and minimise socio-economic impacts.  The Toolkit was the Government's initial investment into complementary measures. 

As with many of the Murray Darling Basin Plan elements, it has lacked transparency and accountability, which should be improved in future program development.  The Toolkit highlights a number of great outcomes when investment is provided to optimising environmental water delivery and environmental outcomes. 

Take a look at our final submission on both the: 

Overall, NIC is increasingly concerned by the regulatory burden of this reform, and that it's going too far - disproportionate to the problem at hand, and the size and extent of water markets.

We are developing a strategic plan for how we approach this ongoing issue, which has a number of steps still to be implemented - stay tuned. 

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