Overview of a Water Management Plan

for the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Greg Claydon

Executive Director, Strategic Water Initiatives Branch

Water & Ecosystem Outcomes Division

River Health Assessment Workshop

Beijing, China

November 2010

Presentation outline

Background to the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB)

Background to the MDB Plan

Commonwealth Water Act 2007

Water for the Future Program 2008

Proposed Basin Plan

Context

Process

Content (with a focus on environmental flows)

Concluding Remarks

The Murray Darling Basin

Water management challenges

Overallocation

Groundwater use impact on surface water systems

Serious environmental degradation; reduced environmental flows & water quality

Loss of productivity & economic activity

Risks to community water supply

Severe & prolonged drought & conversely floods

Significant water related impacts due to climate change

Large and naturally variable basin

Multiple jurisdictions

Commonwealth Water Act 2007

Provides for integrated management of water resources

Enable Commonwealth in conjunction with States to manage

Basin’s water resources

Optimise economic, social and environmental outcomes

Environmental sustainability

Improve water security

Commonwealth Water Act 2007

Creation of new, independent Murray Darling Basin Authority

(MDBA)

Process for development of the Basin Plan

Establishment of the Commonwealth Environmental Water

Holder (CEWH)

Water information collection, analysis and distribution (by the

Bureau of Meteorology)

Audits by the National Water Commission

Water for the Future Program

A 10 year new $12.9 billion Australian Government fund

Four key priorities: taking action on climate change, using water

wisely, securing water supplies and supporting healthy rivers

Rural Water Use Efficiency ($5.8 billion)

Purchase of water for the environment ($3.1billion)

National Water Security Plan for Cities & Towns ($1.5 billion)

Improving water information ($450 million)

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder

(CEWH)

Manages the water entitlements purchased by the

Commonwealth for the environment

Water purchased through the Water For the Future Program

should reduce the impact of new limits on diversions set by the

basin plan on existing water users

Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)

• Role/Functions

• Preparing the Basin Plan for Commonwealth Minister’s approval

• Accreditation of state water resource plans

• Measure, monitor and enforce compliance on water resources

• Engaging the community

• Some water system operations and natural resources management

Examples of Key environmental assets in MDB

Identify Key Environmental Assets (KEA)

Approach for environmentally sustainable level of take

Identify Indicator Assets (IA)

Determine Environmental Water

Requirements (EWR) for Indicator Assets

Determine Key Ecosystem Functions (KEF)

Determine Environmental Water

Requirements for Key Ecosystem Functions

Modelling, Review, Analysis, Expert Advice

Location, flow, duration, frequency, spells,

intervals – sets environmental demands in

hydrologic models

Based on Five Criteria: 1. Recognised

significance; 2. Natural, near natural, rare, unique;

3. Critical habitat (drought refuges, breeding

sites); 4. Threatened species; 5. Sites of high

biodiversity (total 2,442 KEA across MDB)

Key large representative floodplains, wetlands –

total 18 hydrologic indicator sites for 18 IA (a

subset of 2,442 KEA across MDB)

Focus on ‘in-channel’ functions and processes

(total 88 hydrologic indicator sites for KEF

across MDB)

Flow indicators examined as indication of KEF –

sets environmental demands in hydrologic

models

Environmentally Sustainable

Level of Take

What does the Basin Plan Mean for Water

Planning in Queensland?

The Basin Plan binds

- Basin State Agencies

- Infrastructure operators

- Holders of water access entitlements (industry)

Water Planning

- Qld will continue to plan, allocate and manage water resources within its borders but…

- Qld Water Resource Plans for MDB catchments will need to be accredited by the Commonwealth Minister responsible for water (with advice to be provided by the MDBA)

- Must comply with the Basin Plan

Concluding Remarks

Water is a scarce, finite, valuable resource

Strong governance and clear decision making are

important but difficult

The best decisions are underpinned by best

available knowledge and information including

R&D

Aim for transparency of and ‘whole of basin’

collaborative approaches to planning and

management processes

Pursue active stakeholder involvement and

understanding

Concluding Remarks (cont’d)

Test for consistency and coherence of policy

(e.g. institutional, entitlement, pricing, planning)

Remember principles of Ecologically

Sustainable Development and Triple Bottom

Line

Include adaptive management including

requirements for monitoring, reviewing and

reporting

Consider linking reform milestones with

incentives and sanctions

More information from the websites

www.mdba.gov.au

www.derm.qld.gov.au

Thank You!