National environment listing in MDB, just words not action

15 January 2026, Canberra, ACT: Today’s announcement to list parts of the Murray Darling Basin floodplains as “critically endangered” under the updated Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) adds another layer of complexity to already heavy regulation in the Basin – and will achieve little without real investment in addressing delivery constraints and major threats like carp.

“Today’s announcement is just smoke and mirrors by the Albanese Government,” said National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Zara Lowien. “Listing these areas only adds complexity, creates uncertainty for new developments, overlooks the progress of the Basin Plan and offers no new solutions.”

“While the Basin’s environmental condition has improved – with 72% of flows now for the environment and Sustainable Diversion Limits in place – recent science is clear that fixing environmental decline is more complex than ‘just adding water’. Other key threatening processes must be addressed to achieve real improvement.”

The 2025 Murray Darling Basin Authority Evaluation stated:

“…deliveries of water for the environment alone are not sufficient. Other measures, such as water quality management, riparian and floodplain management, pest control, instream habitat, river operations, constraints and works, and environmental water portfolio management are crucial to the achievement of long-term environmental outcomes.[1]”

“It was disappointing there was nothing in today’s announcement about practical solutions, which we know these areas need.”

“Instead, the Government continues buying water from farmers that has limited deliverability to these floodplains, refuses to commit to long-term community-supported constraints projects that would actually get water onto them, and ignores key threats like carp that erode riverbanks and worsen water quality.”

“This announcement is all words and no substance – creating more complexity and uncertainty for no environmental gain.”

“We question how ‘listing parts of the Basin as critically endangered’ and buying more water from farmers is the Government’s top priority for the Basin when 72% of flows are already for the environment and non-water threats remain unaddressed.”

“We support an urgent rethink on how to prioritise investment to maximise environmental outcomes – and how this listing will practically improve Basin environments,” Ms Lowien said.

[1] MDBA 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation Overview, page 42

For more information on the Murray Darling Basin Plan and our priorities for its review see our webpage, Murray Darling Basin Plan.

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