Murray-Darling Basin Authority

For the first time in the Basin's history, one Basin-wide institution is responsible for planning the Basin's water resources, with all planning decisions made in the interest of the Basin as a whole. Our most important work is to: prepare, implement and review an integrated plan for the sustainable use of the Basin's water resources operate the River Murray system and efficiently deliver water to users on behalf of partner governments measure, monitor and record the quality and quantity of the Basin's water resources supporting, encourage and conduct research and investigations about the Basin's water resources and dependent ecosystems advise the Australian Government Minister for Water Resources on the accreditation of state water resource plans provide water rights information to facilitate water trading across the Basin engage and educate the Australian community about the Basin's water resources. Our current governance arrangements were preceded by almost a century of different forms and levels of collaborative management with Basin states — in the first instance New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and more recently joined by Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The sustainable management of the Murray–Darling Basin river system is a collective endeavour of the Australian and Basin state governments, with river dependent industries and communities.