All ACSEES members were present at the meeting. The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) advised that Professor Anne Poelina has completed her term on the committee and had not sought reappointment. MDBA advised that an experienced resource economist has been selected to join ACSEES, and two new First Nations members are expected to join by the next ACSEES meeting.
ACSEES discussed an upcoming MDBA Basin Leadership Summit, planned for November 2025 with a focus on Science and Knowledge. MDBA advised that the purpose of the summit is to discuss the science and knowledge informing the Basin Plan Review and to help shape a strategic and collaborative approach to future Basin science and knowledge. ACSEES recommended that at the summit, MDBA explain how it sources relevant science and knowledge, and how the quality of the scientific work undertaken and commissioned by MDBA is assured.
ACSEES considered how it can best assist MDBA in ensuring the science quality of the Murray–Darling Basin Outlook (MDB Outlook), which is planned for release in late 2025. The MDB Outlook will describe the range of potential environmental, economic, social and First Nations outcomes across the Basin under plausible future hydroclimates. ACSEES endorsed a staged approach to their engagement with the Outlook, commencing with a review of the technical work conducted by the Outlook delivery partners, and moving through to advice on bringing the lines of evidence together and a review of the Outlook report.
ACSEES provided initial guidance on the fundamental principles and characteristics of a basin-scale monitoring program, stressing the importance of a comprehensive literature review to inform indicator selection and study design, a rigorous conceptual framework, which current monitoring efforts lack, and the need to co-design basin-scale monitoring with the community. ACSEES provided advice on the third component of the Sustainable Rivers Audit (design of lasting contemporary monitoring program), recommending that the MDBA investigate how lessons from successful monitoring programs, such as the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program in south-east QLD, can be applied to the Basin. This investigation is likely to highlight the importance of having a more integrated socio-ecological monitoring and socio-economic monitoring, co-designed with key stakeholders.
ACSEES considered the progress on Murray–Darling Basin Sustainable Yields 2 (MDBSY2) project and the planned scientific and technical outputs from this work, including an overall MDBSY summary report. ACSEES noted it will be important for MDBA to clearly describe the scientific improvements that have been made since the original MDBSY work around 15 years ago, and the policy implications of these improvements. It will also be important to clearly describe the various sources of uncertainty in hydroclimate projections (limitations of knowledge, inherent natural variability, and methodological choices made in the light of time and resource constraints and stakeholder views) and the risk implications of these uncertainties. ACSEES noted that MDBSY2 hydroclimate projections and river modelling have been given considerable attention by the Independent Hydroclimate Scientific Expert Panel and the jurisdictional Strategic Hydroclimate Working Group. ACSEES recommended that MDBA consider how best to assure the quality of components of the study related to groundwater, farm dams, ecological thresholds, and First Nations peoples, which have received less independent critique to date.
ACSEES discussed developments in scientific approaches to decision-making under conditions of complexity, uncertainty and contestation, and the relevance of these to MDBSY2 and the assessment of Sustainable Diversion Limits. ACSEES encouraged MDBA to seek opportunities to involve stakeholders in deliberative processes that can generate valuable social-scientific insights and build trust and legitimacy.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), Dr Simon Banks, briefed ACSEES on the Flow-MER (Monitoring, Evaluation and Research) Program. ACSEES discussed improvements in the new phase of Flow-MER (2.0), opportunities for greater collaboration, transparency in the use of Commonwealth environmental water, and making best use of science and knowledge across the Basin.
The next ACSEES meeting is scheduled for June 4 to 5, 2025.