THE Murray-Darling Basin Authority met last week in Griffith to discuss challenges that come with ageing water assets such as weirs, locks and storages, and the importance of these assets in managing water resources.
Work is underway to address these asset risks which includes planning for renewal of these assets.
Members noted that monthly inflows since March 2023 are below the long term average, and total water in storage is just below the long term average for this time of year.
Design approaches for presenting the Sustainable Rivers Audit, which will provide an assessment of the condition of the basin now and how it’s changed over time, were reviewed, with the first draft to be provided to the Authority in April.
Along with the Sustainable Rivers Audit, the Basin Plan Evaluation is planned for mid-year publication, and members provided direction on the first draft of this report.
The evaluation will be the most significant assessment of evidence on the effectiveness of the Basin Plan.
These two reports will be released prior to the River Reflections Conference which will take place in late July 2025.
The Basin Plan Evaluation is part of the roadmap to the release of the Basin Plan Review, which will explore the outcomes of the plan’s implementation to date and outline how water management can be strengthened for the future.
The paper will be released in early 2026.
The Authority aim to assess extraction limits and their effectiveness in supporting environmental outcomes addresses through the basin plan.
