Better monitoring and reporting
Investing in off-farm water
Designing and delivering
Strengthening working relationships
OUR COMMITMENT
Improving implementation of the Basin Plan
Designing and delivering water programs in partnership with communities
- Seek community input and demonstrate how that feedback has been used in the design, delivery and evaluation of programs.
Investing in off-farm water efficiency projects to increase water recovery
- Work with the states and irrigation networks to identify projects to generate water savings through off-farm infrastructure. We will shift our focus away from on-farm water efficiencies and not do buybacks.
Strengthening working relationships between the Australian Government, states and local government
- Work with Basin states to accelerate planning and delivery of supply and constraints projects that are at risk of not being delivered by 2024. We will partner with the National Water Grid Authority on these projects.
- Develop a new National Partnership to provide states funding for new and ongoing activities required to implement the Basin Plan.
Invest in community resilience and river health
Maximising the benefits of the Basin Plan for communities
- Deliver $34 million for economic assistance to communities struggling with the effects of water recovery by extending the successful competitive grants Murray–Darling Basin Economic Development Program.
Improving river health for all users
- Deliver $20 million to fund community-driven grants for on-ground projects that will improve the health of rivers and wetlands.
Delivering environmental outcomes for the Riverland
- We remain committed to recovering the 450 GL in a way that supports Basin communities.
- Deliver $37.6 million in practical projects to sustain Riverland environments. This action recognises that there have been delays in progress towards securing an additional 450 GL of water to improve river health and habitats on the lower Murray.
Supporting First Nations Australians to play an active role in river health
- Deliver $3.1 million for a new First Nations river rangers program, creating more than 20 jobs.
- This builds on an existing commitment of $40 million for an Aboriginal water entitlements program.
Build trust, transparency and accountability in government
Providing stronger leadership
- Build a culture of genuine engagement and trust with communities and between governments.
- Appointment of Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) to provide strong and strategic leadership as Chair of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
Ensuring stronger compliance
- Splitting the Murray – Darling Basin Authority to help resolve conflict.
- Establish a statutory and independent Inspector-General of Water Compliance. This will bring together the water compliance role of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority with the assurance role of the Interim Inspector-General of Murray–Darling Basin Water Resources.
- Deliver $38.7 million to improve Commonwealth water compliance functions.
- This builds on the Commonwealth’s existing commitment of $60 million for improvements in water metering and remote sensing.
Providing better information
- Bring together water information from across governments in a more accessible format for water users and communities.
- The detailed platform will provide a one-stop shop for water storage, in-stream flows and trade information.
Better monitoring and reporting of social, economic and environment conditions
- Invest $7.5 million in monitoring and reporting on the social, economic and environmental conditions in the Basin.
- This builds on a $20 million investment in Basin-specific research so river management can be based on the best available science.
For more information you can visit the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment here