The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has released its mid-year report.

The MDBA’s latest report card offers a detailed assessment of progress under the Basin Plan from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. 

The review suggests that while some progress has been made, the Basin Plan's goals remain hard to reach, with extended deadlines needed to fulfil the strategy.

There have been some significant adjustments in timelines and approaches following the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023. 

This legislation, effective from December 2023, extends deadlines, broadens water recovery options, increases funding, and enhances accountability measures in an effort to ensure the full delivery of the Basin Plan.

MDBA Chief Executive Andrew McConville says the legislative update has been a “second chance to achieve more from the Basin Plan”. 

“This Report Card shows improvement towards achieving the additional 450 gigalitres per year (GL/y) water recovery target, and the extended timeframe allows for a broader range of recovery options to be considered,” McConville noted.

The Report Card assesses progress across several critical areas:

  • Water Resource Plans (WRPs): The report shows that New South Wales has made progress with 16 of its 20 water resource plans now accredited and operational. However, delays persist in accrediting the remaining four plans, which affects the ability to finalise water recovery targets under the ‘Bridging the Gap’ initiative. Other Basin states, including Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory, have all their WRPs accredited and operational.

  • Water Recovery – Bridging the Gap: As of 31 March 2024, 25.1 GL/y remains to be recovered under this target. Final recovery volumes will be determined once all NSW WRPs are accredited. The sustainable diversion limit adjustment mechanism (SDLAM) reconciliation, scheduled for December 2026, will also impact the Bridging the Gap target.

  • Water Recovery – additional 450 GL/y: The MDBA reports that 14.5 GL/y of efficiency measures have been recovered towards the additional 450 GL/y target, with a further 11.5 GL/y contracted for delivery. The deadline for achieving this target has been extended from June 2024 to December 2027, allowing for more recovery strategies.

  • Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM): The assessment reveals that of the 37 original SDLAM projects, 14 are complete and 14 are likely to be delivered in part or in full. The deadline for delivering SDLAM supply projects has been extended to 31 December 2026, with Basin states allowed until mid-2025 to notify new projects or amend existing ones. However, the constraints measures under SDLAM have seen limited progress, with ongoing challenges in their implementation.

  • Northern Basin Initiatives: The report indicates that two of the six Northern Basin Toolkit measures have been completed, with significant progress made on two others. The deadlines for the remaining two measures have been extended to December 2026, reflecting the complexity of these projects.

  • Environmental Water Delivery: The MDBA noted that environmental water use in 2023–24 built on the ecological gains from previous years. This includes maintaining habitat and food resources for juvenile waterbirds and other wildlife. Coordinated environmental flows have improved river connectivity and ecological outcomes, particularly in the southern Basin.

McConville reiterated the importance of ongoing efforts, particularly in the accreditation of WRPs and the delivery of SDLAM projects, as crucial to achieving the overall objectives of the Basin Plan. 

The MDBA's Report Card is available online.