Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Key issues for the 58th Parliament - Murray-Darling Basin

Key issues for the 58th Parliament - Murray-Darling Basin

​ Water in the Murray-Darling Basin


Water-icon.jpg

Research Paper 7, ​2023

Cristy Gelling, BSc (Hons), MA, PhD
Research Analyst, Parliamentary Research Service

Managing the water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin is a contentious topic involving significant disagreements between Australian and state governments, upstream and downstream communities, irrigators, environmental advocates, water traders, and other stakeholders. Major legislative and policy reforms have aimed to restore environmental health and better manage competition for water in the Basin. This paper provides an overview of 3 current issues related to these reforms:

      • Water recovery targets
      • Water markets 
      • NSW compliance with the Basin Plan, including water resource plan accreditation and floodplain harvesting.