Perfect score for Murray-Darling Basin levels of water use
16 July 2026, Canberra ACT: A new report[1] has found levels of water use across the Murray-Darling Basin are fully compliant with the Basin Plan’s Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs), which irrigators say shows ‘the job is done’.
“Water use across the Basin is fully compliant with the Sustainable Diversion Limits set by the Basin Plan,” said Zara Lowien, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC).
“It’s very clear that over-extraction is no longer the issue for the Murray-Darling Basin.”
The Basin Plan limits the amount of water which can be used to Sustainable Diversion Limits, which are approximately 28% of inflows, with the rest remaining in rivers for the environment.
“Getting water usage reduced to be within these new sustainable limits was the reason for the Basin Plan,” said Ms Lowien.
“This outcome should send a clear signal to the Federal Government to stop and reflect on today’s issues and recognise 1 in 3 litres have come out of Australian agriculture, we must now work to make the most of the environmental water.”
“Not only are levels of water usage fully within the sustainable limits, but in many areas, they are very, very far below,” said Ms Lowien.
The Inspector-General of Water Compliance noted that “some areas have accumulated so many available credits that they would have to extract more water than is available in the system to become non compliant with the SDL”.
“We need Government to take a good look at whether there’s enough water left available for Australia’s agriculture sector,” said Ms Lowien, “the impacts of water reform on our food bowl are already being felt.”
The latest report comes as the MDBA finalises the statutory review of the Basin Plan, and the Federal Government needing to determine the priorities for the Basin for the coming decade.
“We need the Federal Government to accept that things have changed, and the job of the Basin Plan has been achieved, albeit at a huge cost
to rural communities and our food bowl.”
[ENDS]
[1] Sustainable diversion limit reporting 2024–25 | Murray–Darling Basin Authority
