Deal to Guarantee a Future for the Murray–Darling Basin

FILE PHOTO: A homestead and roads can be seen near the Darling River in the Murray-Darling basin, Australia's largest catchment river system, located near the far western New South Wales town of Broken Hill in Australia, February 12, 2017. Picture taken February 12, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

The federal government has admitted that the preservation of the Murray-Darling Basin is critical for drought preparation, and the consequences of not acting could be catastrophic.

At a critical time for the Basin, the Albanese Labor Government has struck a historic agreement to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, including 450 gigalitres of water for the environment, with the next drought approaching.

The Aug. 23 agreement between the Federal, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Australian Capital Territory governments is expected to put the river system on a healthy path for future generations by sustaining irrigation, tourism, recreation, cultural use and drinking water.

Victoria has decided not to become a signatory of the agreement as of August 2023, with the Australian government continuing to work with the Victorian Government and all Basin governments to progress plan implementation.

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said Australia faces an environmental emergency.

“The Murray-Darling pumps life into the heartland of our country, and if we don’t act now to preserve it, our Basin towns will be unprepared for drought, our native animals will face the threat of extinction, our river ecosystems will risk environmental collapse, and our food and fibre production will be insecure and unsustainable,” she said.

“Our government made a commitment to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, and that’s exactly what we are doing. ”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek speaks during a stand-up in the Press Gallery at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 24, 2021. Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Agreement Follows the Failure of Former Plan

In July 2023, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority advised that full implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan would not be possible by the legislated deadline of June 30 2024.

The most recent agreement will ensure that promised water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will be returned to the environment over a more extended period.

Ms. Plibersek said the previous government let down Murray-Darling Basin communities by blocking “water recovery, tied up programs in impossible rules, and consistently ignored experts’ advice,” and because of this, the government recently received a formal recommendation that the plan couldn’t be delivered by the June 2024 deadline.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said a guarantee the water would be delivered before the next election is needed.

“We’ve just gone through twelve years of being told we’re not there yet, and South Australia is sick and tired of these broken promises over the Murray and getting the water that we were promised,” she said.

Ms. Hanson-Young said SA Murray-Darling Basin water is as critical to SA as it is to the Australian environment.

Ms. Plibersek wants to allow the government to buy back water licenses from irrigators, meaning water typically used for farming is put towards environmental causes rather than used to grow food.

Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said the Murray-Darling Basin is the largest food bowl in the country.

“If we don’t do something to reserve that Basin and ensure that the river system is protected for the future, that will be disastrous for Australian agriculture overall,” he said.

A view of the Murray River, as reports suggest that inflow to the Murray-Darling Basin are at an all time low, now 60 percent lower than the previous minimum, on February 21, 2007 in Wentworth, Australia. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Ms. Plibersek noted the government would now need to convince the federal parliament to pass the new laws she’s seeking, including extended time to complete projects.

It is expected that legislation could come before the parliament when it resumes in about a week.

The plan previously set a water recovery target of 2750 gigalitres but included a mechanism to increase that target by 450GL after 2019, referred to as extra environmental flows, provided it didn’t have negative social or economic consequences.

In 2017, it faced its biggest challenge when allegations of widespread water theft emerged, and an independent review found that the Queensland and NSW governments are failing to ensure irrigators comply with the rules.

The federal government first agreed in 2012 to devise a plan to secure the system’s future that directly supports more than four million people.

Basin in Brief

The Bureau’s long-range forecast through into spring has predicted drier and warmer conditions across most of Australia and most of the Basin, according to Basin in Brief August 2023—a monthly summary of climate, rainfall, inflows and water quality information.

The recent report found Victoria, the Murray, and the eastern ranges of New South Wales and Queensland are potentially the worst affected by the predicted dry conditions, with an 80 percent chance of below-average rainfall.

A 50 percent to 80 percent chance of below-median rainfall is likely for the Basin, with above-median maximum temperatures very likely.

A view of the Hume Weir at sunrise in Albury on February 23, 2007 during a dry weather period. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Senior climatologist Dr. Stephanie Jacobs said the El Niño alert continues, predicted by the August-October 2023 climate and water long-range forecast.

The report found the likelihood of issues with water quality is low through winter, with exceptions.

Basin rivers and storages are nutrient-rich, and conditions remain favourable for blue-green algae outbreaks. Still, the report noted in the Lower Darling (Baaka), there is a risk of low dissolved oxygen levels.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority and state authorities continue to monitor water quality conditions year-round.