PROPOSED Basin Plan
Water Act 2007
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has prepared this proposed Basin Plan as required by subsection43A(2) of the Water Act 2007.
Published by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia (Murray-Darling Basin Authority) 2012
MDBA publication no: 57/12
ISBN (print): 978-1-922068-70-5
ISBN (online): 978-1-922068-71-2
This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rightsshould be addressed to the MDBA Copyright Administration, GPO Box 1801, Canberra ACT2601, or made by phone to 1800 230 067, or faxed to (02) 6230 7579, or emailed to or made via www.mdba.gov.au.
You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation.
Acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners of the Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority acknowledges and pays its respect to the Traditional Owners and their Nations of the Murray-Darling Basin. The contributions of earlier generations, including the Elders, who have fought for their rights in natural resource management are also valued and respected.
The Authority recognises and acknowledges that the Traditional Owners and their Nations in the Murray-Darling Basin have a deep cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters. The Authority understands the need for recognition of Traditional Owner knowledge and cultural values in natural resource management associated with the Basin. Further research is required to assist in understanding and providing for cultural flows. The Authority supports the belief of the Northern Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Nations and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations that cultural flows will provide beneficial outcomes for Traditional Owners.
The approach of Traditional Owners to caring for the natural landscape, including water, can be expressed in the words of Ngarrindjeri elder Tom Trevorrow: “our traditional management plan was don’t be greedy, don’t take any more than you need and respect everything around you. That’s the management plan—it’s such a simple management plan, but so hard for people to carry out.”[1]
This traditional philosophy is widely held by Traditional Owners and respected and supported by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Contents
Chapter 1— Introduction 1
Part 1— Preliminary 1
1.01 Name of instrument 1
1.02 Making and effect of Basin Plan 1
1.03 Application of Basin Plan 1
1.04 Commencement 1
Part 2— Structure of the Basin Plan 1
1.05 Simplified outline 1
Part 3— Interpretation 4
1.06 Where terms are defined 4
1.07 Definitions 4
1.08 Basin Plan not to be inconsistent with Snowy Water Licence 11
1.09 Construction of provisions imposing obligations on States 11
1.10 Reasonable excuse for not producing or providing information etc 12
Chapter 2— Basin water resources and the context for their use 13
2.01 Description located in Schedule 1 13
Chapter 3— Water resource plan areas and water accounting periods 14
Part 1— Preliminary 14
3.01 Simplified outline 14
3.02 Time at which area becomes water resource plan area 14
3.03 Datasets for identification of water resource plan areas 14
3.04 Flexibility relating to boundaries of water resource plans 15
Part 2— Water resource plan areas 15
3.05 Water resource plan areas—surface water 15
3.06 Water resource plan areas—groundwater 16
3.07 Water resource plan areas—surface water and groundwater 17
Part 3— Water accounting periods 18
3.08 Water accounting period for each water resource plan area 18
Chapter 4— Identification and management of risks to Basin water resources 19
Part 1— Preliminary 19
4.01 Simplified outline 19
Part 2— Risks and strategies to address risks 19
4.02 Risks to condition, or continued availability, of Basin water resources, and consequential risks 19
4.03 Strategies to manage, or address, identified risks 20
4.04 Authority may publish guidelines 21
Chapter 5— Management objectives and outcomes to be achieved by Basin Plan 22
5.01 Simplified outline 22
5.02 Objectives and outcome for Basin Plan as a whole 22
5.03 Objectives and outcome in relation to environmental outcomes 23
5.04 Objective and outcome in relation to water quality and salinity 23
5.05 Objective and outcomes in relation to long-term average sustainable diversion limits 23
5.06 Objectives and outcome in relation to trading in the water market 24
Chapter 6— Water that can be taken 26
Part 1— Preliminary 26
6.01 Simplified outline 26
Part 2— Long-term average sustainable diversion limits 26
Division 1— Identification of SDL resource units 26
6.02 Identification of surface water SDL resource units 26
6.03 Identification of groundwater SDL resource units 27
Division 2— Long-term average sustainable diversion limits 27
6.04 Long-term average sustainable diversion limits 27
6.05 SDL resource unit shared reduction amount 28
6.06 Authority may express its view in relation to possible changes to SDLs 29
6.07 Review of SDLs in 2015 30
Part 3— Temporary diversion provision 30
6.08 Temporary diversion provision 30
Part 4— Method for determining compliance with long-term annual diversion limit 31
Division 1— Register of take 31
6.09 Register of take 31
Division 2— Method for determining compliance 31
6.10 Method for determining compliance with long-term annual diversion limit 31
6.11 Step 1—Calculation of annual permitted take and annual actual take 32
6.12 Step 2—Record difference between annual actual take and annual permitted take 32
6.13 Step 3—Determine whether there is non-compliance 32
Part 5— Allocation of risks in relation to reductions in water availability 33
6.14 Risks arising from reduction in diversion limits 33
6.15 Risks arising from other changes to the Basin Plan 34
Chapter 7— Environmental watering plan 35
Part 1— Preliminary 35
7.01 Simplified outline 35
7.02 Effect of environmental watering plan on Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder 35
Part 2— Overall environmental objectives for water-dependent ecosystems 36
7.03 Outline of this Part 36
7.04 Overall environmental objectives 36
7.05 Protection and restoration of water-dependent ecosystems 36
7.06 Protection and restoration of ecosystem functions of water-dependent ecosystems 37
7.07 Ensuring water-dependent ecosystems are resilient to climate change and other risks and threats 38
Part 3— Targets by which to measure progress towards objectives 39
7.08 Targets by which to measure progress towards achieving objectives 39
7.09 Assessment of progress towards objectives in Part 2 39
Part 4— Environmental management framework 40
Division 1— Preliminary 40
7.10 Outline of this Part 40
7.11 Objectives of environmental management framework 40
7.12 Interpretation 40
Division 2— Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 41
7.13 Obligation to prepare Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 41
7.14 Content of the Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 41
7.15 Preparation of Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 42
7.16 Publication of Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 43
7.17 Review and update of Basin-wide environmental watering strategy 43
Division 3— Long-term watering plans 43
7.18 Obligation to prepare long-term watering plans 43
7.19 Content of long-term watering plans 43
7.20 Preparation of long-term watering plans 45
7.21 Provision and publication of long-term watering plans 46
7.22 Review and update of long-term watering plans 46
Division 4— Annual environmental watering priorities 47
7.23 Obligation to identify annual environmental watering priorities 47
7.24 Content of annual environmental watering priorities 47
7.25 Preparation of annual environmental watering priorities 48
7.26 Provision of annual environmental watering priorities 49
Division 5— Basin annual environmental watering priorities 49
7.27 Obligation to prepare Basin annual environmental watering priorities 49
7.28 Content of Basin annual environmental watering priorities 50
7.29 Preparation of Basin annual environmental watering priorities 50
7.30 Publication of Basin annual environmental watering priorities 52
7.31 Review and update of Basin annual environmental watering priorities 52
Division 6— Principles to be applied in environmental watering 52
Subdivision A— Principles to be applied in environmental watering 52
7.32 Outline of Subdivision 52
7.33 Principle 1—Basin annual environmental watering priorities 52
7.34 Principle 2—Consistency with the objectives in Part 2 53
7.35 Principle 3—Maximising environmental benefits 53
7.36 Principle 4—Risks 53
7.37 Principle 5—Cost of environmental watering 54
7.38 Principle 6—Apply the precautionary principle 54
7.39 Principle 7—Working effectively with local communities 54
7.40 Principle 8—Adaptive management 54
7.41 Principle 9—Relevant international agreements 54
7.42 Principle 10—Other management and operational practices 54
7.43 Principle 11—Management of water for consumptive use 54
Subdivision B— Reporting in relation to Basin annual environmental watering priorities 55
7.44 Reporting required where Basin annual environmental watering priorities not followed 55
Division 7— Planning for recovery of additional environmental water 55
7.45 Outline of Division 55
7.46 Planning for the recovery of additional environmental water 55
7.47 Reporting required where Authority’s recommendations not followed 55
Part 5— Methods for identifying environmental assets and ecosystem functions and their environmental watering requirements 56
7.48 Environmental assets and ecosystem functions database 56
7.49 Method for identifying environmental assets and their environmental watering requirements 56
7.50 Method for identifying ecosystem functions that require environmental watering and their environmental watering requirements 57
7.51 Determination of the environmental watering requirements of environmental assets and ecosystem functions 57
Part 6— Principles and method to determine priorities for applying environmental water 58
Division 1— Principles to be applied to determine priorities 58
7.52 Outline of Division 58
7.53 Principle 1—Consistency with principles of ecologically sustainable development and international agreements 59
7.54 Principle 2—Consistency with objectives 59
7.55 Principle 3—Flexibility and responsiveness 59
7.56 Principle 4—Condition of environmental assets and ecosystem functions 59
7.57 Principle 5—Likely effectiveness and related matters 60
7.58 Principle 6—Risks and related matters 60
7.59 Principle 7—Robust and transparent decisions 61
Division 2— Method to be used to determine priorities 61
7.60 How to determine priorities for applying environmental water 61
7.61 Determining the resource availability scenario 61
7.62 Seasonal, operational and management considerations 61
Chapter 8— Water quality and salinity management plan 63
Part 1— Preliminary 63
8.01 Simplified outline 63
Part 2— Key causes of water quality degradation in Murray-Darling Basin 63
8.02 Types of water quality degradation and their key causes 63
Part 3— Water quality objectives for Basin water resources 64
8.03 Outline of this Part 64
8.04 Objectives for water-dependent ecosystems 64
8.05 Objectives for raw water for treatment for human consumption 64
8.06 Objective for irrigation water 65
8.07 Objective for recreational water quality 65
8.08 Objective to maintain good levels of water quality 65
Part 4— Water quality targets 65
Division 1— Preliminary 65
8.09 Outline of this Part and purpose of targets 65
8.10 Failing to achieve a target 66
8.11 Most stringent target applies 66
Division 2— Targets for managing water flows 66
8.12 Targets for managing water flows 66
Division 3— Water quality targets for water resource plans 67
8.13 Purpose of Division 67
8.14 Water quality targets for fresh water-dependent ecosystems 67
8.15 Water quality targets for irrigation water 68
8.16 Water quality targets for recreational water 69
Division 4— Salinity targets for the purposes of longterm salinity planning and management 69
8.17 Salinity targets 69
8.18 Saltload target 69
Chapter 9— Water resource plan requirements 70
Part 1— Preliminary 70
9.01 Simplified outline 70
Part 2— Identification of water resource plan area and other matters 71
9.02 Identification of water resource plan area and water resources 71
9.03 Identification of SDL resource units and water resources 71
9.04 Form of water resource plan 71
9.05 Regard to other water resources 72
9.06 Obligations to be specified 72
9.07 Consultation to be demonstrated 72
Part 3— Incorporation and application of long-term annual diversion limit 73
Division 1— Water access rights 73
9.08 Water access rights must be identified 73
9.09 Identification of planned environmental water and register of held environmental water 73
Division 2— Take for consumptive use 74
9.10 Annual determinations of water permitted to be taken 74
9.11 Rules for take, including water allocation rules 74
9.12 Matters relating to accounting for water 75
9.13 Limits on certain forms of take 75
9.14 Effects, and potential effects, on water resources of the water resource plan area 76
Division 3— Actual take 77
9.15 Determination of actual take must be specified 77
Part 4— The sustainable use and management of water resources 77
Division 1— Sustainable use and management 77
9.16 Sustainable use and management of water resources 77
Division 2— Surface water 78
9.17 Priority environmental assets and priority ecosystem functions 78
Division 3— Groundwater 78
9.18 Priority environmental assets dependent on groundwater 78
9.19 Groundwater and surface water connections 79
9.20 Productive base of groundwater 79
9.21 Environmental outcomes relating to groundwater 80
Division 4— How requirements have been met 80
9.22 Description of how requirements have been met 80
Part 5— Interception activities 81
9.23 Listing types of interception activity 81
9.24 Monitoring impact of interception activities 81
9.25 Actions to be taken 82
Part 6— Planning for environmental watering 82
9.26 Planning for environmental watering 82
9.27 Enabling environmental watering between connected water resources 83
9.28 No net reduction in the protection of planned environmental water 83
Part 7— Water quality objectives 83
9.29 Water resource plan to include WQM Plan 83
9.30 WQM Plan to identify key causes of water quality degradation 83
9.31 Measures addressing risks arising from water quality degradation 83
9.32 WQM Plan to identify water quality target values 83
9.33 WQM Plan to identify measures 84
9.34 WQM Plan to identify locations of targets for irrigation water 85
9.35 Impact of WQM Plan on another Basin State 85
Part 8— Trade of water access rights 85
9.36 Application of Part 85
9.37 Circumstances in which conditions in section 11.24 are met 85
9.38 Circumstances in which conditions in section 11.25 are met 85
9.39 Circumstances in which conditions in section 11.26 are met 86
Part 9— Approaches to addressing risks to water resources 86
9.40 Definitions 86
9.41 Risk identification and assessment methodology 86