FACT SHEET

Managing Australia’s
water resources

An overview of Australian
Government agencies, programs,
roles and responsibilities

The Murray–Darling Basin

This fact sheet outlines Murray–Darling Basin Authority’s
incorporates Australia’s three responsibilities in the context of national water
longest rivers and is one of
our most diverse regions,
resource management.
stretching from Queensland to
South Australia.
The Australian Government is working with all states, territories and
communities to improve the way we manage Australia’s water resources.
The Murray–Darling Basin
is very important to Australia
As we prepare for a future with less water it is important that we improve
economically, socially and water use and infrastructure, and restore the health of our rivers.
environmentally. Often called To help with this, the Australian Government has passed legislation and
Australia’s food bowl, the
Murray–Darling Basin has a
established the following initiatives and programs. Several Australian
population of approximately Government agencies are working together to help deliver this package of
2 million people and supports water reforms.
much of Australia’s agriculture
and agricultural exports. The
Basin also contains more than
30,000 wetlands, including 16 Managing Australia’s water resources
internationally significant sites,
many of which provide habitat for
migratory birds.
Entities
However, water use in the
Basin has increased five-fold
in the last century. The Basin Department of Water for the
is now under significant stress Murray-Darling Sustainability Environment, future initiative
from the combined impacts of Basin Authority Water, Population and
over-allocation of water, severe Communities
drought, and the early impacts of
climate change. Driving Reform in
the Basin
There has been a marked decline
Commonwealth
in river health and it has become National Water Commisssion
Environmental Water Holder
imperative to take action to return
the system to a sustainable footing. Restoring
the Balance

Australian Competition
Bureau of
and Consumer Sustainable Rural
Meteorology
Commission Water Use and Infrastructure

Other players Figure 1: The key

Australian Government
entities and programs
Department of Regional
Department of
Australia, Regional
involved in manag-
Agriculture, Fisheries and ing Australia’s water
Development and Local
Forestry
Government resources

Managing Australia’s water resources _____

Fact sheet 1
 National Water Initiative (NWI)
www.nwc.gov.au
The NWI is the blueprint for water reform across Australia. This agreement
between all states and territory governments and the Commonwealth has
been in place since 2004. The NWI represents a shared commitment by
all our governments to increase the efficiency of Australia’s water use and
includes commitments to reform water markets and trading, and deal with
over-allocated or stressed water systems.

The Water Act

The Australian Government passed the Water Act in 2007 to help
implement the National Water Initiative. The Water Act introduced new
powers that help the Australian Government coordinate a national approach
to water management and meet the challenges facing water management
in the Murray–Darling Basin. Importantly, the Water Act established the
Murray–Darling Basin Authority to prepare a Basin Plan for the sustainable
management of water across the whole of the Murray–Darling Basin.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)

www.mdba.gov.au
The objective of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (in partnership with
governments and communities) is to put water use on a sustainable
footing to ensure vibrant communities, a viable irrigation industry, secure
The Basin Plan will:
water for cities and towns, and to restore the health of the environment of
• set legally enforceable the Basin.
environmentally
sustainable limits on the MDBA is responsible for preparing a management plan (the Basin Plan)
quantities of surface and that will include a new sustainable diversion limit (SDL) in the Murray-
ground water that may be Darling Basin to ensure enough water is allocated to the environment to
taken from Basin water maintain important ecosystems and river health.
resources In preparing the Basin Plan, MDBA is using the best scientific and
• set Basin-wide socio-economic information available. A formal public consultation period
environmental, water will allow for comment on the draft Basin Plan in 2011. MDBA is engaging
quality and salinity with the communities, and industries and governments around the
objectives Murray–Darling Basin.

• develop efficient water MDBA also manages the Murray River system in close cooperation
trading regimes across with state authorities to ensure reliable water supplies for all users.
the Basin Further, MDBA implements programs that support the restoration of
the environment in the Murray–Darling Basin, such as the Native Fish
• set requirements for state Strategy, and The Living Murray river restoration program.
water resource plans
• improve water security for Water for the Future Initative
all Basin water uses. www.environment.gov.au/water/
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities (SEWPaC) implements the Water for the Future initiative.
This ten-year, multi billion dollar program, aims to secure the water supply
for all Australians. Water for the Future has four priorities:
• using water wisely
• supporting healthy rivers
• taking action on climate change
• securing water supplies.

Important elements of Water for the Future are investing in water

infrastructure to make our water use more efficient; buying back water
from willing sellers (using it to meet core environmental needs); and
supporting other reforms.

Managing Australia’s water resources _____

Fact sheet 2
Driving Reform in the Basin program
The Driving Reform in the Basin program supports Australian Government
contributions to the operation and water reform functions of MDBA, including
those under the Water Act. This program also gives the National Water
Commission (NWC) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) specific roles and functions under the Water Act which are outlined
further below.

Sustainable Rural Water Use and

Infrastructure program
The Australian Government is also investing $5.8 billion in modernising
irrigation infrastructure and improving water use efficiency.
The Restoring the Balance in the Murray–Darling Basin program and the
Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure program are helping by
returning water to the environment and in the transition to the implementation of
the Basin Plan. Both programs are administered by SEWPaC.

Restoring the Balance in the Murray–Darling

Basin program
Under the $3.1 billion Restoring the Balance in the Murray–Darling Basin
program, the Australian Government is buying water entitlements to help restore
the Murray–Darling Basin’s environment.

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder manages water purchased by
the Australian Government for environmental purposes across Australia. This
water will be used to protect and restore key environmental sites, including the
health of rivers and wetlands in the Murray–Darling Basin.

National Water Commission (NWC)

www.nwc.gov.au/
NWC was established to oversee implementation of the National Water Initiative
and report on progress to the Australian Government. All state and territory
governments have lodged plans for how they will implement the National
Water Initiative’s requirements. The National Water Commission will also be
responsible for auditing the effectiveness of the implementation of the Basin
Plan and Water Resource Plans.

Australian Competition And Consumer

Commission (ACCC)
www.accc.gov.au
Under the Water Act, ACCC advises the Commonwealth Water Minister on
water charge and water market rules. ACCC are advising MDBA on trading
rules for inclusion in the Basin Plan.

Bureau Of Meteorology (The Bureau)

www.bom.gov.au/water
The Bureau has the responsibility, through the Water Act, for compiling and
delivering consistent water information across all of Australia. The Bureau’s
functions include:
• conducting regular national water resources assessments
• publishing an annual National Water Account
• providing regular water availability forecasts.

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Fact sheet 3
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Figure 2: (above) Map showing the location of the Figure 3: Map showing the location of rivers within the
Murray–Darling Basin within Australia Murray–Darling Basin

Other Commonwealth initiatives

A number of other Commonwealth agencies have programs that support
these water reforms:
• T he Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and
Local Government (DORA) works to strengthen the sustainability of
regions and provides financial assistance to local governments and
manages infrastructure grants programs.
• T he Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
provides drought assistance and supports research through the
Bureau of Rural Sciences (http://www.brs.gov.au/) and the Australian
Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (http://www.abare.
gov.au/).
• The Caring for Our Country program (http://www.nrm.gov.au/about/
caring/index.html) is administered jointly through SewPAC and DAFF
to support communities, farmers and other land managers to protect
Australia’s natural environment and sustainably produce food and
fibre.
• Centrelink (http://www.centrelink.gov.au/) provides income support,
information and referral to eligible irrigators and other rural customers
to help them in times of drought and hardship.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (http://www.abs.gov.au/) provides
regular updates on a range of statistics about Australia’s water
resources including water use and water supply.

Further information
Copies of this and other fact sheets are available on the Murray–Darling
Basin Authority website at www.mdba.gov.au.
For copies or enquiries phone 1800 230 067
or email [email protected].
Copies of a more detailed booklet on the Commonwealth’s water reforms
and agencies’ roles, The National Water Initiative - securing Australia’s
water future - 2011 assessment, are available on the National Water
Commission’s website www.nwc.gov.au.

Published by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. The MDBA’s preference is that you attribute this publication (and any material sourced
MDBA publication number: 03/11 from it) using the following wording:
© Murray–Darling Basin Authority for and on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011. Title: Managing Australia's water resources
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the MDBA logo, all photos, Source: Licensed from the Murray–Darling Basin Authority under a Creative Commons
graphics and trade marks, this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority, including the Commonwealth, does not necessarily
Australia Licence. Managing Australia’s water resources _____
endorse the content of this publication.
Fact sheet 4
The MDBA provides this information in good faith but to the extent permitted by law, the MDBA
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au
and the Commonwealth exclude all liability for adverse consequences arising directly or
indirectly from using any information or material contained within this publication.