The proposed Basin Plan for consultation

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority has prepared this proposed Basin Plan for the purpose of the consultation processes referred to in section 43 of the Water Act 2007.

Download the Proposed Basin Plan [PDF 990KB]

Download the Proposed Basin Plan [Word 1.33MB]

Contents

Publication details and Acknowledgement
Chapter 1– Introduction
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Structure of the Basin Plan
- Part 3– Interpretation
Chapter 2– Basin water resources and the context for their use
Chapter 3– Water resource plan areas and water accounting periods
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Water resource plan areas
- Part 3– Water accounting periods
Chapter 4– The identification and management of risks to Basin water resources
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Risks and strategies to address those risks
Chapter 5– Management objectives and outcomes to be achieved by the Basin Plan
Chapter 6– Water that can be taken
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Long-term average sustainable diversion limits
  - Division 1– Identification of SDL resource units
  - Division 2– Long-term average sustainable diversion limits
- Part 3– Temporary diversion provision
- Part 4– Method for determining compliance with the long-term annual diversion limit
  - Division 1– Register of take
  - Division 2– Method for determining compliance
- Part 5– Allocation of risks in relation to reductions in water availability
Chapter 7– Environmental watering plan
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Overall environmental objectives for the water-dependent ecosystems
- Part 3– Targets by which to measure progress towards objectives
- Part 4– Environmental management framework
- Part 5– Methods for identifying environmental assets and ecosystem functions and their environmental watering requirements
- Part 6– Principles and method to determine the priorities for applying environmental water
  - Division 1– Principles to be applied to determine priorities
  - Division 2– Method to be used to determine priorities
- Part 7– Principles to be applied in environmental watering
  - Division 1– Principles to be applied in environmental watering
  - Division 2– Reporting in relation to Basin annual environmental watering priorities
- Part 8– Planning for the recovery of additional environmental water
Chapter 8– Water quality and salinity management plan
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Key causes of water quality degradation in the Murray–Darling Basin
- Part 3– Water quality objectives for Basin water resources
- Part 4– Water quality targets
Chapter 9– Water resource plan requirements
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Identification of water resource plan area and other matters
- Part 3– Incorporation, and application, of the long-term annual diversion limit
- Part 4– The sustainable use and management of water resources
- Part 5– Interception activities
- Part 6– Planning for environmental watering
- Part 7– Water quality objectives
- Part 8– Trade of water access rights
- Part 9– Approaches to addressing risks to water resources
- Part 10–Measuring and monitoring
- Part 11– Reviews of water resource plans
- Part 12– Information used to prepare water resource plan
- Part 13– Extreme events
- Part 14– Indigenous values and uses
Chapter 10– Critical human water needs
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Water required to meet critical human water needs
- Part 3– Monitoring, assessment and risk management
- Part 4– Tier 2 water sharing arrangements
  - Division 1– When Tier 2 water sharing arrangements apply
  - Division 2– Tier 2 reserves policy
- Part 5– Tier 3 water sharing arrangements
Chapter 11– Water trading rules
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Restrictions on trade of tradeable water rights
  - Division 1– Trade of water access rights
  - Division 2– Trade of water delivery rights held against irrigation infrastructure operators
- Part 3– Information about water delivery rights and irrigation rights
- Part 4– Approval processes for trade of water access rights
  - Division 1– General
  - Division 2– Approval authority's other activities
- Part 5– Information and reporting requirements
Chapter 12– Program for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the Basin Plan
- Part 1– Preliminary
- Part 2– Principles to be applied
- Part 3– Basin Plan outcomes
- Part 4– Reporting requirements
- Part 5– Reviews of water quality targets and environmental watering plan
- Part 6– Evaluation of Basin Plan
Schedule 1– Basin water resources and the context for their use
Schedule 2– Matters relating to surface water SDL resource units
Schedule 3– BDLs for surface water SDL resource units
Schedule 4– Matters relating to groundwater SDL resource units
Schedule 5– Criteria for identifying an environmental asset
Schedule 6– Criteria for identifying an ecosystem function
Schedule 7– Targets to measure progress towards objectives
Schedule 8– Key causes of water quality degradation
Schedule 9– Target values for target application zones
Schedule 10– Basin Plan outcomes and reporting requirements

Documents incorporated by reference are here

Website updates

Current vacancies

Water audit monitoring report 2009-10

Feedback from community information sessions

MDBA The Living Murray Environmental watering in 2010–11

Chowilla Environmental Water Management Plan

Useful links

National Water Commission

Bureau of Meteorology

The Water for the Future initiative

Basin Plan knowledge and information directory

Key publications

Portfolio Budget Statements 2012-13

All publications

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