1. Overview of a Water Management Plan
for the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia
River Health Assessment Workshop
Beijing, China
November 2010
Greg Claydon
Executive Director, Strategic Water Initiatives Branch
Water & Ecosystem Outcomes Division

2. Presentation outline
 Background to the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB)
 Background to the MDB Plan
 Commonwealth Water Act 2007
 Water for the Future Program 2008
 Proposed Basin Plan
 Context
 Process
 Content (with a focus on environmental flows)
 Concluding Remarks

3. The Murray Darling Basin

12. Water management challenges
 Overallocation
 Groundwater use impact on surface water systems
 Serious environmental degradation; reduced environmental flows &
water quality
 Loss of productivity & economic activity
 Risks to community water supply
 Severe & prolonged drought & conversely floods
 Significant water related impacts due to climate change
 Large and naturally variable basin
 Multiple jurisdictions

13. Commonwealth Water Act 2007
 Provides for integrated management of water resources
 Enable Commonwealth in conjunction with States to manage
Basin’s water resources
 Optimise economic, social and environmental outcomes
 Environmental sustainability
 Improve water security

14. Commonwealth Water Act 2007
 Creation of new, independent Murray Darling Basin Authority
(MDBA)
 Process for development of the Basin Plan
 Establishment of the Commonwealth Environmental Water
Holder (CEWH)
 Water information collection, analysis and distribution (by the
Bureau of Meteorology)
 Audits by the National Water Commission

15. Water for the Future Program
 A 10 year new $12.9 billion Australian Government fund
 Four key priorities: taking action on climate change, using water
wisely, securing water supplies and supporting healthy rivers
 Rural Water Use Efficiency ($5.8 billion)
 Purchase of water for the environment ($3.1billion)
 National Water Security Plan for Cities & Towns ($1.5 billion)
 Improving water information ($450 million)

16. Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
(CEWH)
 Manages the water entitlements purchased by the
Commonwealth for the environment
 Water purchased through the Water For the Future Program
should reduce the impact of new limits on diversions set by the
basin plan on existing water users

17. Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)
• Role/Functions
• Preparing the Basin Plan for Commonwealth Minister’s approval
• Accreditation of state water resource plans
• Measure, monitor and enforce compliance on water resources
• Engaging the community
• Some water system operations and natural resources management

28. Examples of Key environmental assets in MDB

29. Approach for environmentally sustainable level of take
Based on Five Criteria: 1. Recognised
significance; 2. Natural, near natural, rare, unique;
Identify Key Environmental Assets (KEA) 3. Critical habitat (drought refuges, breeding
sites); 4. Threatened species; 5. Sites of high
biodiversity (total 2,442 KEA across MDB)
Key large representative floodplains, wetlands –
Identify Indicator Assets (IA) total 18 hydrologic indicator sites for 18 IA (a
subset of 2,442 KEA across MDB)
Location, flow, duration, frequency, spells,
Determine Environmental Water intervals – sets environmental demands in
Requirements (EWR) for Indicator Assets hydrologic models
Focus on ‘in-channel’ functions and processes
Determine Key Ecosystem Functions (KEF) (total 88 hydrologic indicator sites for KEF
across MDB)
Flow indicators examined as indication of KEF –
Determine Environmental Water sets environmental demands in hydrologic
Requirements for Key Ecosystem Functions models
Environmentally Sustainable
Modelling, Review, Analysis, Expert Advice Level of Take

36. What does the Basin Plan Mean for Water
Planning in Queensland?
The Basin Plan binds
- Basin State Agencies
- Infrastructure operators
- Holders of water access entitlements (industry)
Water Planning
- Qld will continue to plan, allocate and manage water resources
within its borders but…
- Qld Water Resource Plans for MDB catchments will need to be
accredited by the Commonwealth Minister responsible for water
(with advice to be provided by the MDBA)
- Must comply with the Basin Plan

37. Concluding Remarks
 Water is a scarce, finite, valuable resource
 Strong governance and clear decision making are
important but difficult
 The best decisions are underpinned by best
available knowledge and information including
R&D
 Aim for transparency of and ‘whole of basin’
collaborative approaches to planning and
management processes
 Pursue active stakeholder involvement and
understanding

38. Concluding Remarks (cont’d)
 Test for consistency and coherence of policy
(e.g. institutional, entitlement, pricing, planning)
 Remember principles of Ecologically
Sustainable Development and Triple Bottom
Line
 Include adaptive management including
requirements for monitoring, reviewing and
reporting
 Consider linking reform milestones with
incentives and sanctions

39. More information from the websites
www.mdba.gov.au
www.derm.qld.gov.au
Thank You!