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Murray Darling Basin Authority
Fish deaths span the Basin
The Darling River was once again making headlines as the muddy waters were hardly visible through a blanket of dead fish. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s mantra of ‘just add water’ has had a schooling once again by mother nature as the kills come on the back of some of the highest inflows and floods on record.
Detailed design work to begin on Barmah–Millewa Program: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is moving ahead with detailed design work on a suite of options to improve the movement of water through the Barmah–Millewa Reach of the Murray River. Basin governments in February noted the results of the Barmah–Millewa Feasibility Study and committed $2.35 million to the next stage of investigation in what will be known as the Barmah–Millewa Program.
Misleading Deceptive Bastards, Again…
Community members and representatives have been left aghast at the latest actions by a federal agency as they seek to drain more water from the southern connected region ... “I don’t think they could have structured it much better to make sure that they had people stay away from the meeting,” said local farmer and Wakool River Association Chair John Lolicato ... “I don’t think they care. I think they think we’re dispensable.”
Labor’s sneaky closed-door consultation on water buybacks: Littleproud
Labor is sneaking into St George to hold closed sessions on its water buyback plan. A St George information session on the Strategic Water Purchasing Framework will be hosted by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water on Monday, 13 March, between 2 and 4pm. However, the location remains a secret, and the website link only allows invited guests to rsvp. Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud described Labor’s tactic as “outrageous”.
One of the southern Basin’s wettest years delivers strong water availability: MDBA
The southern Murray–Darling Basin tracked some of its highest rainfall and inflow totals on record in the tail end of 2022, according to the MDBA's update to the 2022-23 Annual Operating Outlook. The update details how the Murray–Darling Basin Authority may run the River Murray under a range of possible climate and rainfall scenarios, to help water users and river managers with future planning.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council communique, 24 February 2023
Murray–Darling Basin water ministers met on Gadigal Land (Sydney) to discuss the impacts of flooding on catchments and communities, next steps to deliver the Basin Plan and opportunities to strengthen First Nations' role in water management and ownership.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
SA Liberals need to get onboard Team SA on Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Close
The SA Liberals misguided opposition to voluntary water buybacks risks undermining South Australia’s position ahead of Friday’s Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting. A united South Australian position is crucial when dealing with the unwillingness of the NSW and Victorian governments to deliver the 450 gigalitres promised when the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was agreed to: Susan Close, SA Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water (SA).
People and industry must be at centre of Basin Plan: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says people and industry must be at the centre of discussions during next week’s meeting of state and federal water ministers on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan ... “The MDBA’s report card doesn’t look at the impact on jobs, on food production and on communities that have resulted from water buybacks and broader Basin Plan implementation”: VFF President Emma Germano.
