Murray River Group of Councils (MRGC), Media Release, 23 February 2026
The Murray River Group of Councils (MRGC) met in Melbourne last week for a dedicated strategic forum to discuss and shape its initial response to the 2026 Basin Plan Review.
Mayors and CEOs from the MRGC, together with representatives from the City of Greater Shepparton and the Co-Chairs of the GMID Water Leadership Forum, received a comprehensive briefing from Murray–Darling Basin Authority CEO Andrew McConville and senior executives on the MDBA’s recently released Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper.
MRGC Chair Cr Stuart King, said the meeting reflected the significance of the Review for communities across northern Victoria.
“This is not an abstract policy exercise. The Basin Plan has impacted our communities, our agriculture sector and our industries and it will continue to do so. This is a rare opportunity to improve the Plan for the next decade” he said.
MDBA Chief Executive Andrew McConville and senior staff briefed the Group noting that environmental water holders now control 27 per cent of Basin water entitlements valued at around $11 billion.
The Review is an opportunity to decide how this water can best be utilised to achieve the ecological outcomes to ensure healthy rivers and wetlands, even in a hotter, drier future.
Cr King noted that agriculture, food production and Basin communities – and the impacts associated with the transfer of irrigation water – were largely absent from the Discussion Paper, a point acknowledged by Mr McConville.
“Northern Victoria sits at the heart of the Basin’s irrigated food and fibre production. The MRGC region generates $8.3 billion in food each year, supporting thousands of regional jobs and contributing significantly to Victoria’s economy and Australia’s food security.
“Over the life of the Basin Plan, the transfer of around one quarter of water entitlements out of irrigation has had profound impacts on our communities,” Cr King said.
He added that MRGC members were clear the next phase of the Basin Plan must move beyond water recovery and focus on delivering tangible environmental outcomes by maximising the $11 billion environmental water asset already secured.
“Australia’s food security depends on a strong, sustainable irrigated agriculture sector in northern Victoria – and the Basin Plan must support that. The Plan’s primary water recovery task is largely complete, with no justification for further recovery or increases to Sustainable Diversion Limits.
“The focus must now shift to using existing environmental water efficiently and strategically, leveraging allocation markets and operational tools to maximise impact. SDLAM projects and carefully assessed constraint measures should proceed only where they deliver clear environmental benefits and genuine value for money,” Cr King said.
Cr King said the Review shows that investment should prioritise modernising ageing dams and weirs across the Basin rather than purchasing additional water.
Structural adjustment funding must become a permanent part of the Basin framework, helping regional communities adapt, diversify, and attract new investment.
“We support a healthy river system, but we also stand for thriving communities, sustainable food production, and evidence-based decision-making. The Basin Plan Review must get that balance right,” he concluded.
