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Murray Darling Basin Plan
Value of Murray-Darling conference lauded by councillor
The Murray-Darling Association 2025 National Conference saw its new Strategic Plan unveiled, building on the direction of Vision 2025. Narrandera Shire Council was represented by Cr Jenny Clarke, who presented a report to the Council recently.
Water matters: Practical outcomes needed in Basin
Rosalie Auricht. A lot can happen in a very short time in the water space, and 2026 is shaping up to be a big year in water policy within the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) ... Federal water recovery from intensive irrigation networks across the Basin can so easily rip the heart out of the social and economic fabric of those communities. The underfunded Federal Sustainable Communities Program, now opened in SA, is designed to diversify economies as they transition away from irrigation. The program provides no comfort to irrigators in intensive irrigation network areas like the Riverland.
The complexities of managing the waters of Menindee Lakes
The Menindee Lakes system is often described as the beating heart of the Darling-Baaka river system, but in the halls of Canberra and Sydney, it is also a vital "battery" for the Murray-Darling Basin. As we move into 2026, the lakes find themselves at the centre of a major policy shift - the "rescoping" of a controversial water-saving project that has pitted engineering efficiency against cultural survival.
Lower Murray River ecosystem listed as Critically Endangered – announcement and early reactions
On Thursday 15 January 2026, the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, announced the Federal Government's decision to list the Lower Murray River System as being of Critically Endangered conservation status pursuant to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). Minister Watt's statement together with early statements from National Farmers' Federation and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW demonstrate some of the points of difference over this contentious decision.
Kooba purchase tops 2025 farmland sales
One of the largest agricultural transactions in Australian history has topped the 2025 land sales across the nation. The $500 million acquisition of the Kooba Aggregation by Canadian pension giant PSP Investments. The aggregation, located between Griffith and Darlington Point, is a high-value hub for cotton, irrigated row crops, and livestock, supported by massive Murrumbidgee River water entitlements.
Basin Plan blowout continues as failed projects open gap in Southern MDB: National Irrigators Council
“Water use has drastically declined since the Basin Plan,” said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien “with one in three litres of irrigation water, now out of production and new Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs) set by the Basin Plan in force” ... “More water is no substitute for these projects. It’s a lose-lose, the environment can’t get the important projects, and communities and industries will further suffer from less water, unless alternatives are considered,” said Ms Lowien.
Assurance report indicates southern Basin shortfall ahead of the 2026 reconciliation: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority’s 2025 assurance report on the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) has found that significant work remains to deliver a number of outstanding SDLAM projects, and many projects will not be delivered in time or at all. The SDLAM has a strict deadline of 31 December 2026 under the Basin Plan, and for any projects to be counted they must be complete and operational.
Preparing for a hotter, drier Basin: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin is virtually certain to become hotter, rainfall likely to become more variable, and droughts very likely to become more frequent and severe, a new publication from the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has found. The MDBA ... released the 2025 Murray–Darling Basin Outlook — a forward-looking assessment...
With friends like these, Watt’s the problem?
Death didn't ride in on a pale horse in the dead of night; he stood at a pulpit in Adelaide and proudly announced to his fanatical legions of followers the further destruction of rural Australian communities and the rivers they rely on ... In announcing the purchase of a further 130GL from the Southern Basin, Watt, along with his predecessors, has missed the obvious fact that this water cannot be delivered down to the Lower Murray.
Back to the ‘easy’ option?
Hugh Schuitemaker. A senior Riverland irrigation sector figure, and local politicians, say a decision to buyback more water volumes for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is relying on the "easy" and "lazy" option. Federal Minister for Water Murray Watt, at last week's Basin Leaders Summit, held in Adelaide, announced buybacks for an added 130GL of water to go toward Murray-Darling Basin Plan targets.
