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The Basin Plan

A plan for sustainable management

The Basin Plan will be a strategic plan for the integrated and sustainable management of water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin.

Preparation of the plan

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) will prepare the plan, as required by the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth). The plan will be prepared in consultation with Basin states and communities.

Planned date

The first Basin Plan is planned to commence in 2011.

Content of the plan

The Water Act specifies some content of the Basin Plan, including:

  • limits on the amount of water (both surface water and groundwater) that can be taken from Basin water resources on a sustainable basis
  • identification of risks to Basin water resources, such as climate change, and strategies to manage those risks
  • requirements that state water resource plans will need to comply with if they are to be accredited under this Act
  • an environmental watering plan to optimise environmental outcomes for the Basin
  • a water quality and salinity management plan
  • rules about trading of water rights in relation to Basin water resources.

Commonwealth and state roles under the plan

The Basin Plan will be complemented by water resource plans prepared by Basin states and provided to the Commonwealth Minister for accreditation.

The Basin Plan will also play an important role in identifying responsibilities for managing risks related to reduced water availability and changes in reliability of supply.

Water-sharing arrangements that are provided for in existing water resource plans will remain in place until these plans cease as outlined in the transitional arrangements set out in the Act.

If you have any enquiries or comments about the Basin Plan, please call 1800 230 067.

Responsibilities for preparing and approving the Basin Plan

These key groups are closely involved in the development of the Basin Plan:

  • Commonwealth Minister for Climate Change and Water
  • The Commonwealth Water Minister is responsible for approving the Basin Plan.
  • MDBA

MDBA is responsible for the overall preparation, implementation and enforcement of the Basin Plan.

MDBA has an important role in engaging with stakeholders and is regularly meeting regionally and providing opportunities for interaction with stakeholder groups and the community. MDBA is using feedback on issues from stakeholders to help inform our decision-making.

Murray—Darling Basin Ministerial Council

The Ministerial Council comprises the Commonwealth Minister for Climate Change and Water, who also chairs the council, and one Minister from each of the Basin states and the ACT. The Ministerial Council has an advisory role in the preparation of the Basin Plan.

Basin Community Committee

The Basin Community Committee (BCC) consists of 16 members who provide a Basin-wide perspective on Basin Plan issues. BCC is meeting regionally and hosting community discussions and events to ensure they understand the issues of concern for the community. They inform MDBA of issues of strategic importance arising at these regional events.

Basin Officials Committee

The Basin Officials Committee (BOC) comprises government officials from the five Basin states and territory (Qld, NSW, Vic, SA and ACT) as well as the Commonwealth Government. The committee provides advice to MDBA about engaging with the Basin states in the development of the Basin Plan (Fig 2).

Public submission time frame

We welcome any comments you may have during the development of the Basin Plan. In addition, we will also be inviting formal submissions in mid-2010. As drafting of the proposed Basin Plan will occur during May and June 2010 any comments received during this period will be considered as a formal submission on the proposed Basin Plan.

Submissions can be:

emailed to engagement@mdba.gov.au
or posted to:
Murray—Darling Basin Authority GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601.