Tag: Murray-Darling Basin

Stubborn Floods Continue Across Australian States

Multiple catchments holding months of heavy rainfall paint an unfortunate picture of continued flooding for regional communities in Australian states of New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and South Australia. As NSW enters the 74th day of its flood crisis, dozens of emergency warnings remain in place on Sunday across Australia’s east and flood peaks continue…


Secret Water Buyback Fund Criticised by Australia’s Farm Groups

Australian farm groups have criticised the Albanese government’s opaque water buyback plan saying the move is cause for concern for communities along the Murray-Darling Basin. This follows the release of the recent federal budget (pdf) in which funding allocations to meet water-saving targets for the Murray-Darling Basin were undisclosed “due to commercial sensitivities.” “Communities are…


Australia’s Water Minister Signals Potential to Extend Murray-Darling Basin Plan Deadline

Minister for Water, Tanya Plibersek, has signalled that the Labor government may extend the 2024 deadline for delivering 450 gigalitres of water back into the Murray-Darling Basin after having recently labelled the target as “challenging.” Speaking on Sky News on July 28, Plibersek blamed the Coalition for abandoning the targets while in office, saying that…


Australia’s Water Minister Concedes Murray-Darling Basin Plan Target ‘Next to Impossible’

Australia’s Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has admitted that delivering a key component to the Murray Darling Basin Plan before the 2024 deadline would be “next to impossible.” This follows calls in June from liberal senator Anne Ruston who urged Plibersek to visit communities across the Murray Darling Basin in order to have a greater…


ACCC Calls for Comprehensive Overhaul of Murray-Darling Water Markets

An independent agency should be established to oversee trading activity in the water markets for the Murray-Darling Basin, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). It’s one of the 29 recommendations made by the consumer watchdog in its 700-page final report (pdf) of the Murray-Darling Basin water markets inquiry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison…