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.

Snapshot of environmental outcomes

  • Over the 9-year period, 15,443 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to 56 ecosystem types representing 249,079 ha of lakes and wetlands, 187,486 ha of floodplain, 27,715 km of waterways and 23,768 ha of estuarine ecosystems - Flow-MER_22-23 Synthesis Report (CEWH).
  • The largest bird-breeding events in the decades in 2022-2023 were supported by natural flows and various forms of environmental water- DCCEEW.
  • Increased abundance in native fish and improved resilience of native fish - CEWH
  • Improved connectivity between the Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth with 10 years of continuous flow and increased barrage flows, the maintenance of lake levels and salinities within optimal ranges in SA Lower Lakes - Monitoring Report -CLLMM.
  • The export of at least 4.2 million tonnes of salt through the barrages at South Australia - Benefits of water for the environment (DCCEEW).


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. 


The progress to-date means  that 1 in 3 litres of water for agriculture is now held by environmental water holders.  This is a total reduction in water availability meaning 72% of average river flows are for the environment and 28% to water users.

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.

Policy Position Statements relating to the Murray Darling Basin Plan

Finalising the Murray Darling Basin Plan

Position Statement

SDLAM Reconciliation

Position Statement

Constraints Management

Position Statement

Reliability of Water Access Entitlements

Position Statement Agreed July 2025


Key Related NIC Resources on the Murray Darling Basin Plan

We have just put in our submission for the third Water for Environment Special Account (WESA) review - take a look.

Our key recommendation: "The Independent Panel take a broad view to examine the policy settings and decision-making on the use of WESA funds to achieve enhanced environmental outcomes with consideration of socio-economic impact - to ensure WESA can be used transparently to target priority environmental investments. We encourage you to explore the option to amend the WESA to ensure it can be used transparently to target priority environmental investments such as community-supported constraints measures and investment in non-flow complementary measures as evidence within the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit."

Thank you to our members who have contributed to this piece of work, and taking the time to provide feedback. 

If there's one video those working in water must watch this year, it's this - Professor Forest Reinhardt from Harvard Business School talking to Andrew McConville at this years River Reflections Conference on water property rights (watch from 45 minutes into Day 1). 

Let us know your favourite quotes!

One of our favourites (1hr 18mins in) - in response to a question on what a future Basin Plan should look like: "If the subsequent versions of the Basin Plan, can make water more and more like a normal commodity... just as if you own a piece of land... I think that the more you can make water rights look like normal property rights, the more effective the system will be. I come from a country where we can't even get to the starting line of that kind of thing."


Today’s publication of the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit has found the health of the Basin has improved, advising that “water for the environment is essential, but on its own is likely not sufficient” [MDBA Overview]...  The National Irrigators’ Council has described many parts of the Evaluation as refreshing and a wakeup call needed to shape thinking in the Basin going forward and is calling for more quick thinking on how to determine and prioritise a package of strategic environmental investments in these complementary (non-flow) measures to inform next steps on the Basin Plan, given the Evaluation found this as a missing piece of the current Plan puzzle.  [...]

Basin communities fear socio-economic impact assessments soon to be released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) will water down the true impact, overlooking community and industry-level data, in their Basin-scale assessment. “Basin Plan legislation requires 5-yeraly Evaluations, but at a Basin-scale”, said Zara Lowien, National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) CEO, “we know the most severe impacts are felt at a local community level, and within specific industries, but these impacts get smoothed out when the assessment zooms to the Basin-scale.”  [...]


NIC Members agreed to a specific Position Statement on the reliability of water access entitlements to provide a clear message to Governments on how decisions impact water property rights, as represented and agreed in the National Water Initiative.

This position statement was prepared in conjunction with our guiding principles.

Approved 17 July 2025.

14th May 2025, Canberra, ACT: The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) congratulates Murray Watt on his appointment as the Minister for the Environment and Water, saying this is an opportunity for new leadership to put policy above politics and partnerships over partisanship. “Until recently, water management in Australia has had a long history of bipartisanship across politics.  We hope under new leadership... we can see a return to respectful and constructive water policy solutions, that can once again rise above politics,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien. [...]

DCCEEW today released the Exposure Draft of the Water Markets Intermediaries Code (the Code) and an Overview of the draft are now available for consultation.  On this page you will be able to submit your feedback on the Exposure Draft. The consultation will be open until 11.59pm on Sunday 6 April 2025.  The Exposure Draft incorporates feedback from the Policy Position Paper consultation in November-December 2024.

The release of the Auditor General’s report of the Federal Government’s water buybacks finds the Government implemented a well-paved road of effective process but struggled to find the link between the buyback program and the intended policy objectives for the Murray Darling Basin Plan.  

“Many will glance at the key findings of effective process and give the Government a pat on the back, but the devil is in the detail when the report goes on to question the link between the buyback program and the intended policy objectives for the environment” said National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Ms Lowien [...]

Minister Plibersek tabled the Australia Audit Office's review of the 2023 Strategic Purchases for Bridging the Gap, which you may recall the Inspector General recently found flaws in governance and managing conflicts. 

The report identified steps were taken to address earlier deficiencies and that processes stacked up.  What was interesting to read in the detail were questions and recommendations about the purpose of these purchases towards the overall policy outcomes, which you will hear more from NIC about this area 

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. 

The Australian Government is hosting a webinar to provide an update on our progress in implementing the Basin Plan.

The online public webinar will be held on Wednesday 11 December 2024 at 12:00pm (AEDT). The webinar will run for 60 minutes.

The panel will include representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Submit your questions in advance

We welcome your questions and encourage you to submit them in advance. Please email your questions to water.engagement@dcceew.gov.au.

Irrigators’ have called out Minister Plibersek’s announcement of having ‘1000 willing sellers towards’ the Commonwealth’s tender to buy water for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, as a political stunt on the day of Senate Estimates.
“The last time Minister Plibersek announced a buyback tender round had been over-subscribed, the Government later rejected 72% of the offers contracting only a small proportion of the reported offers (26 GL out of 90 GL), mostly due to value for money concerns,” said Zara Lowien, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council. [...]

Following ongoing discussions with DCCEEW about accountability and transparency of progress on the Murray Darling Basin Plan, our attention was drawn to this new resource to track the progress.  Whilst it doesn't go all the way with providing the much-needed transparency, it does provide a visual examples of the progress, and remaining effort.  Its worth a look. 

Today, Federal Senate Estimates for the Environment and Communications portfolio held their hearings on matters relating to the Murray Darling Basin Plan, water market reforms and the National Water Agreement renewal. The hearings are available via the Australian Parliament YouTube channel. 

Some key outcomes from today's discussion confirmed that an updated version of the National Water Agreement is due "soon" and that many of the stakeholder concerns, including those from the Productivity Commission were being addressed.  The Department indicated a living entity is not a legal entity and that there is no intention for Free, Informed and Prior Consent, to provide authority over water decisions. 

Questioning regarding buybacks revealed that 26GL out of the 90GL of 'overwhelming offers' last year for Bridging the Gap were contracted with 72% rejected due to value for money concerns. 

National Irrigators' Council  is concerned that these proposed listings are being rushed prior to the Federal election (reminiscent of a previous disallowed attempt prior to the 2013 election) and that little additional work since 2013 has been provided to support the nomination despite significant improvements and other measures being taken since that previous attempt (namely the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and evolution of environmental water management in these specific regions). [...]

he Federal Government continue their pre-election rush, with a flawed buyback tender process designed to over-estimate irrigator interest in selling water to the Government as part of the Government’s relentless pursuit of buybacks to achieve the additional 450 GL of water under the Basin Plan. This is despite Minister Plibersek’s assurances that all other options, other than buybacks, were on the table. [...]

The Federal Government is again being called out for rushing through risky and untested reforms that seek to gain more power for themselves, prior to the upcoming election.  Consultation soon closes on their recent grab, to list two new areas as “endangered” under national environment law, replicating a controversial and subsequently, disallowed move by the former Labor Government in 2013. [...]

National Irrigators Council are calling on the Australian Government for answers, as they continue to pursue additional water purchases when water usage is well below the Basin Plan limits.  National Irrigators’ Council CEO, Zara Lowien said “the recently released data from the Murray Darling Basin Authority[i] confirms the core objectives of the Basin Plan are being achieved with water take 23 percent below the Basin Plan limit [...]

VIC Basin deal must reignite old and new win-win projects for all states Canberra, ACT – The National Irrigators Council (NIC) is relieved that the stalemate between the Australian Government and Victoria appears broken with agreement to fund Victoria’s stalled Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects. This crucial step is a win-win for Victoria […]

The Murray Darling Basin Plan has been a vital tool in balancing the needs of our communities, our environment and our productive sector. It hasn’t always got it right, but it has achieved a great deal since its inception. Ensuring balance is needed so we can keep our rivers and communities healthy and thriving, while feeding and clothing Australia and the world. Whilst we didn’t agree with all elements of the Restoring our Rivers bill such as the lifting of the cap on buybacks and the ability to use direct water purchases towards the 450 GL efficiency measure program. We remain committed to finalizing the Basin Plan and ensuring all the tools, not just buybacks, are utilized in its implementation to maintain and protect the prosperity of our regional communities and agricultural businesses. [...]

Productivity Commission warns Basin Governments – don’t waste time, do your job The Productivity Commission’s Final Report into the 5-year Implementation Review of the Murray Dalring Basin Plan has highlighted significant concerns about Basin Plan governance, saying governments must shape up or fail said Zara Lowien, CEO of National Irrigators Council. “The final report has […]

NSW Confirms Buyback not the Answer. The NSW Government release of their ‘Alternatives to Buybacks Plan’ as part of their commitment to implement the Murray Darling Basin Plan has been welcomed by National Irrigators Council CEO, Zara Lowien. “It was a show of cards by NSW to reinforce their commitment to avoid buybacks”. “The focus […]

The National Water Initiative (NWI) has played a crucial role in shaping the future of water management in Australia and supporting the growth of the irrigation industry. In doing so, it has also reshaped many regional communities and irrigation industries, particularly when considering the impacts experienced to achieve sustainable levels of take and establishing the water market. Nonetheless, it is imperative that any updates to the NWI uphold the fundamental principles that are now the backbone of the industry. We must also recognize that the objective to achieve environmentally sustainable level of take has been or is near completion, in all developed water sources and consideration how this objective applies for remaining regions should be a future focus. [...]

Basin communities’ fate sealed during Senate debate National Irrigators Council (NIC) is disheartened to see Minister Tanya Plibersek’s Restoring our Rivers Bill passed in the Senate today without bipartisan support, as the Government sought deals with individual cross benchers, driving a wedge into the heart of Basin communities. Thirty-three Senators voted to pass the bill, […]

Peak body opposes last minute water Bill deal ahead of Senate debate. National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) is disappointed about the last-minute deal struck between the Albanese Government and the Australian Greens to apparently ‘strengthen’ the Restoring Our Rivers Bill with the addition of new amendments – none of which reflect any socio-economic consideration of Basin […]

Productivity Commission warns the Government, you risk being seen as just chasing a volumetric target. The Productivity Commission released its Interim 5-year Review into the Implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan and was scathing of the lack of progress and planning by Government’s in the lead up to the Plan’s initial deadline of June […]

Government Withholds Vital Information from Senate on Murray-Darling Basin Bill The Federal Government is attempting to blindside the Senate on its Murray-Darling Basin Bill by refusing to release crucial information on how it will affect farmers, regional communities, the environment and the water market. The National Farmers Federation, National Irrigators’ Council and NSW Irrigators’ Council […]

The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) has appeared before today’s Senate inquiry into the Federal Government’s Restoring Our Rivers Bill 2023, which proposes a range of amendments to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The peak body, which was among 27 individual and stakeholder groups to present at the public hearing in Canberra today, cited its strong opposition […]

The National Irrigators’ Council welcomed the release of the consultation outcomes paper of summarising community led ideas to finalise the Murray Darling Basin Plan. NIC Chair Jeremy Morton said: “We’ve always suggested there were better ways to finalise the Plan without the need to buy more water from production. “Communities have again, stood up and […]

The National Irrigators’ Council has today welcomed Minister Plibersek’s announcement that the timelines will be extended to finalise the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “Today’s announcement is a credit to Minister Plibersek and her pragmatic approach to finalising the Basin Plan. NIC has been calling for this timeline extension and we are […]

The National Irrigators’ Council has released its submission to the finalising the Basin Plan ideas consultation process and it comes as the Federal Water Minister has today asked the Basin Authority to report on whether the Plan can be achieved by its mid-2024 deadline. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “Minister Plibersek called for ideas on […]

The National Irrigators’ Council acknowledges and welcomes the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review Roadmap released today at River Reflections by Sir Angus Houston, MDBA Chair. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “All Australians are connected to the Murray-Darling Basin, whether they know it or not. Forty percent of our farms, over $22 billion is economic activity at […]

The Government’s water buyback program tender documents, with the misnomer “strategic purchasing of 44.3GL/y of water rights”, have been released and they raise some significant questions. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The only thing ‘strategic’ about this ‘strategic purchasing of 44.3GL/y of water rights’ is the name. It is an open tender – throwing a […]

The Federal Water Minister has today confirmed the Government will seek to buyback water across the Murray-Darling Basin in what will be devastating news for farmers and their local communities. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “Today the Minister has confirmed what communities, businesses and workers across the Murray-Darling Basin have been fearing – the return […]

The Federal Government has today refused to give New South Wales and Victoria more time to deliver their Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects, while flagging more buybacks are likely to fill shortfalls. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek has repeatedly said all options are on the table for finalising […]

The Basin Water Ministers Council (MinCo) meets this week and Basin communities and stakeholders are in the dark (yet again) on what’s on the agenda. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “$22 billion worth of food & fibre is grown in the Murray-Darling Basin with a multiplier in economic activity taking that up to around $80 […]

The Basin Water Ministers Council (MinCo) meets this week to discuss finalising the Basin Plan and it must deliver on its promises to regional communities, businesses, workers and the environment. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “Businesses need certainty to invest and employ workers. Changing goalposts creates uncertainty, fosters distrust and heightens sensitivities. MinCo can’t go […]

The National Irrigators’ Council acknowledges the release of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Report Card for 2022 and is pleased to note the progress being made on implementing the Basin Plan. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The Basin Plan Report Card for 2022 is full of good news, but you wouldn’t know it if you only […]

The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) has released its new position statement on finalising the Murray-Darling Basin Plan with a renewed commitment to implementing the Plan in the best interests of regional communities. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been a success. It has provided balance between the needs of the productive […]

The National Irrigators’ Council acknowledges the release of the State of the Climate report which timely coincides with the 10 year anniversary of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. NIC CEO Isaac Jeffrey said: “The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has delivered ninety-eight percent of its surface water targets and over ninety percent of its groundwater targets. It has […]

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