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Murray Darling Basin Plan
Murray–Darling Basin Authority communique, 12 December 2022
The Authority commended the ongoing efforts of the MDBA river operators to provide significant flood mitigation for communities downstream of Hume Dam, with twice the volume of the dam's capacity having been carefully released over the past 6 months to manage downstream flows. This has enabled the peak outflow from Hume Dam to be moderated throughout winter and spring.
Choke hold
Even with more than 100,000 megalitres a day crossing the South Australian border, SA Water closed the barrages due to seawater flowing into the freshwater estuary. SA Water satellite imagery also shows the current flooding is still not moving down the Coorong. The real risk of constraints relaxation may be felt closer to home. The modification of the Barmah Choke has been seen as the crown jewel for accessing held environmental water. The choke protects Echuca-Moama and Koondrook-Barham from large Murray floods from Hume Dam, currently on display with the flows heading north down the Edward-Wakool system ... Community concerns over constraints relaxation flooding farmers and potentially impacting townships has been labelled as scaremongering by MDBA Chief Executive Andrew McConville.
Murray Darling Basin Authority is out of touch: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation has expressed outrage towards the comments made by Murray Darling Basin Authority Chief Executive Andrew McConville in his Rural Press Club address, 10 years after the Basin Plan gave the green light to take water from farming communities. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said Mr McConville’s commentary ignored the ongoing impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on farming communities and sounded like it was designed to appease the Federal Labor government ... “We expect the MDBA CEO to be professional and impartial, not a political sycophant. It seems he needs to re-read the Basin Plan as he forgot to mention in his speech that the 450GL is only possible if there are no negative social and economic impacts”.
No secret pact for water buybacks: Anderson
The NSW Government has reaffirmed its opposition to non-strategic water buybacks being used to meet water recovery targets as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan ... Mr Anderson said the NSW Government welcomes the Commonwealth correcting the record and reaffirming there is no open round of buybacks being undertaken. “We have seen first-hand the negative long-term impact non-strategic buybacks have had on our communities and we want to avoid this,” Mr Anderson said.
Secret water buyback deal slammed: NSW Farmers
The state’s peak farming group has slammed secret water buyback plans that will hurt rural communities in NSW. On Friday afternoon The Land revealed state water ministers had agreed to almost 50 gigalitres of water buybacks at last month’s Ministerial Council meeting, with most of that water coming from NSW.
Governments urged to withdraw from Basin Plan
UGRCA. The Victorian and NSW Governments need to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, according to an advocacy group. Upper Goulburn River Catchment Management Association representative, Jan Beer, says there appears no other option, with zero appetite from the Albanese Government to listen to and understand the implications of its Basin Plan proposals. Mrs Beer said it has become impossible to reason with new federal Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, so it will be left up to the respective state governments to protect their communities.
Water management killing the Darling-Baaka
New research published by the University of NSW confirms that it is the over extraction and mismanagement of water that is causing most of the damage to the Darling-Baaka River, not climate change. NSW Nature Conservation Council calls for the Federal Water Minister to stand firm on the timelines for water recovery in the Basin Plan, and restore the voluntary, open tender water buy back process.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority communique, 24 October 2022
When viewed together the 30 major dams across the Murray-Darling Basin are currently at 101% capacity and hold an unprecedented volume of water in storage ... At the Authority’s invitation, the South Australian River Murray Commissioner, Mr Richard Beasley SC, attended the meeting. He provided an update on his appointment to advocate for the health of the River Murray, Lower Lakes and Coorong.
Widespread flooding raises risk of water quality issues in the Murray–Darling Basin: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin continues to experience widespread flooding in some areas, prompting an increased risk of water quality issues like low-oxygen blackwater as temperatures increase. Governments and water authorities are working together to monitor the unfolding conditions which may see low-oxygen blackwater and blue-green algae emerge that can lead to fish deaths and increased water treatment.
MINCo continues plan traditions
Last week, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority sang the praises of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MINCo) meeting outcomes. Hot topics were climate change, delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, water buybacks and First Nations water. When it came to the almost $2 billion unregulated water trading industry that impacts communities, rural economies and the environment, it seems implementing legislation already in place was not on the radar.
