What people are saying about the plan

Here is what some organisations are saying in initial responses to the review:

Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance

The review comes as yet another mass fish kill event hits the lower Darling following days of extreme heat.

“The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance welcomes this opportunity to take a good hard look at how we manage this critically important river system,” Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance co-director Craig Wilkins said.

“The rivers, wetlands and floodplains of the Murray-Darling Basin are in trouble.

“Too much water is still being taken from rivers for irrigation, not enough water is reaching wetlands and floodplains, and climate change is adding to these pressures.

“The recent listing of the lower Murray River as Critically Endangered demonstrates how serious the situation is.

“Ten years ago, the basin plan set out to return the Murray-Darling system to health. The Australian public has invested over $11 billion in implementing the plan.

“This review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a welcome opportunity to look at what’s working and what needs to change.”

National Farmers’ Federation

National Farmers’ Federation Water Committee chair Malcolm Holm said the discussion paper acknowledged environmental outcomes were influenced by a range of non-flow factors, many of which needed a targeted response, not more water.

“The discussion paper reinforces what farmers have been saying for many years, that environmental outcomes are nuanced and depend on more than just the volume of water,” Mr Holm said.

“Sustainable Diversion Limits are a cornerstone of the basin plan, and virtually all SDLs are being met.

“The science is telling us that where environmental problems persist, they are typically driven by invasive species such as carp, physical or rules-based constraints, and connectivity issues, not a lack of water.”

“The review outlines four priority challenges, those being river connectivity in the northern basin, addressing barriers to native fish recovery, protecting end-of-system outcomes and restoring habitats.”

National Irrigators’ Council

“The current basin plan focused on reducing water usage by establishing new sustainable water limits — that’s been done, with one in three litres of irrigation water now out of production and sustainable limits in place — the next basin plan will need a different focus for today’s issues,” CEO Zara Lowien said.

“Further work to better understand drivers of environmental outcomes is about getting the right solutions, not just continuing with the past tools.

“We welcome further data and discussion to move forward on management options in the basin, beyond the simple concept of ‘just adding more water’ during consultation.

“We are ready for further discussions that focus on how to optimise the delivery of existing environmental water, what priority investments are needed to complement environmental water, as well as, seeking commitments to community supported constraints, rather than the current approach of adding more water.”