Murray River

The Albanese Labor Government’s latest $430m Murray-Darling Basin water buyback will take more productive water out of agriculture and put more pressure on families already struggling with grocery prices, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster said today. The deal involves the Commonwealth buying almost 86GL of water entitlements for environmental use at a cost of more than $430m.

Nearly 85 per cent of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan’s environmental water target has now been achieved ... over 380GL of water has now been recovered towards the 450GL target, through a combination of federally-funded water-efficiency infrastructure projects and voluntary water purchasing.

Newly elected Member for Farrer David Farley used his debut parliamentary question time to quiz Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles about the nation's water. Rather than directing his opening questions to the Environment or Agriculture ministers, Farley targeted the Defence and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

The independent Inspector–General of Water Compliance (IGWC), the Hon. Troy Grant, has released the second Murray–Darling Basin Compliance Activity and Outcomes Report (CAOR). This Basin-wide report covers activities in 2023 to 2025, building on the 2022-23 report, and presents a picture of how Basin State regulators monitor water take, apply compliance tools and report publicly on their work.

Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has demanded that the Minister for Water rule out introducing legislation to more easily enable the compulsory acquisition of flood easements, and confirm the previous commitment not to use existing powers to flood private land without consent.

...the trial of the $26.2 m bubble plume project is already making a positive difference by creating warmer temperatures throughout the Severn River’s Pindari Dam storage ... “This project aims to re-establish more natural water temperatures below dams for native fish breeding and growth. The project also ensures that water temperatures from environmental flow releases enhance the health of the river downstream”: Tara Moriarty.

The launch of Caught in the Current, The Dire Consequences of Politics Driving the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in Barham, celebrated a long-awaited, community-driven historical and factual resource on Australian Water Policy ... The book is explicitly designed as a factual counter-narrative and practical tool for inquiries, libraries, and policy debate.

“It’s no longer a level playing field. Farmers trying to secure water to grow food and sustain communities are competing against taxpayer-funded buybacks and major investment entities with access to massive amounts of capital”: VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy.

The mayors of two neighbouring Victorian municipalities are calling on the Murray Darling Basin Authority to recognise the efforts of improved irrigation systems across the region when conducting its 2026 Basin Plan review.

For irrigators across the Riverina and communities across the Far West, the water picture heading into winter 2026 is one that demands close attention. The key dam levels as of 25 May paint a mixed picture. Burrinjuck Dam, which drives allocations for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and surrounding districts centred on Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera, is at 38 per cent.

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but would it mean the same thing? This is the thought I was left with when the MDBA announced the "Opening trade balance set for Barmah Narrows". Notice the subtle change in language? The "Barmah Choke", which is a natural constriction to water flow within the river channel, has formed part of the operating rules that irrigators had to abide by for longer than some of us have been alive.

The Barmah Narrows trade provision will start the 2026–27 water year with around 24 gigalitres (GL) available for downstream trade. A restriction on the trade of water downstream of The Narrows (previously referred to as the Barmah Choke) has been active since 2014 to protect water delivery to existing entitlement holders and to maintain the local river environment.

A Menindee resident has raised concerns about water releases from the upper lakes of the Menindee Lakes system, warning they could contribute to ongoing environmental deterioration in the Lower Darling-Baaka River system.

The 36th meeting of the Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences (ACSEES) was convened virtually 21 April 2026 ... The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) updated the Committee on its business priorities and progress on the Basin Plan Review.

Gannawarra Shire Council is calling on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to recalibrate the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to reflect that the municipality has been the hardest impacted area in northern Victoria. Council has produced a five-page submission to the 2026 Basin Plan Review, which will look at whether change is needed to make the Basin Plan work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Hugh Schuitemaker. The announcement of a "worst-case" water allocation scenario for SA River Murray irrigators – the first in five years – is set to compound the region's economic struggles, according to a senior irrigation figure, and a Riverland politician. The DEW last week announced South Australian River Murray irrigators were projected to receive minimum opening water allocations of 62 per cent for the 2026-27 water year.

This year’s projected opening allocation for South Australian River Murray water users has reinforced the importance of a healthy and flowing Basin – and ensuring parties representing River communities put local interests ahead of upstream states.

Greater Shepparton City Council is intensifying its advocacy and engagement efforts to ensure local community and industry voices are heard as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) review, with public submissions closing on 1 May 2026. As part of its water advocacy program, Council is undertaking targeted engagement activities to encourage community and stakeholder participation in the review process...

A forum highlighting the negative impacts of the basin plan on rural communities was held in Barham recently – hundreds were in attendance or have watched the forum online. Southern Riverina Irrigators (SRI) joined the Central Murray Environmental Floodplain Group, The Bridge Newspaper and Upper Goulburn Catchment Alliance to organise the event which included a variety of speakers across industry, science and agriculture.

The first major project unveiled by the Australasian Space Innovation Institute, the National Digital Twin for Australian Agriculture holds immense potential for the agricultural industry to harness existing national datasets and observation systems to model scenarios, test options and inform discussions and decisions, including at scale. Australian Rural & Regional News found out a good deal through an in depth interview with Andrew Beveridge, Director of the National Digital Twin for Australian Agriculture.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) own analysis shows further water buybacks are unlikely to deliver significant improvements in environmental objectives across the Basin and zero improvements in any Victorian river systems including the Victorian Murray.