Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) chief executive Phillip Glyde said the achievements outlined in the annual report were a tribute to the hard work and combined effort of basin communities and state, territory and Commonwealth agencies.
"In times of structural reform of this scale, it is important to set strong foundations and be fully engaged with stakeholders in order to get it right. It is a task the MDBA cannot do alone, and we are very grateful for the knowledge and ideas contributed from across the basin," Mr Glyde said.
"Some irrigation-dependent towns have found it a challenge to adjust to different pressures, while other areas are adapting well to new opportunities.
"We expect industries and communities to need time to adjust to changes, especially when they occur alongside other stresses within a sector.
"At the start of the 2015-16 year, the very dry conditions in most of the Basin added to the pressure on many areas, and resulted in higher than average temporary water prices. This gave way to record floods by the end of the year in some parts, which created another set of challenges and highlighted the variability of our climate.
"The Basin Plan is about neither drought proofing nor flood proofing the Basin. Its purpose is to ensure regulated water across the system is shared between all uses in a sustainable way. This is our best insurance policy for the future of the system.
"This year we have seen how Australian and basin state water managers can work together and with their communities, to get the best outcomes. This commitment saw most environmental water delivered through coordinated watering events that re-used water for multiple benefits.
"Working well together was also demonstrated in the new science, social and economic research done for the Northern Basin Review. This new work led to the Authority recommending that the water recovery target be reduced by 70 gigalitres in the northern basin, provided governments commit to implementing a range of improvements to the way water is managed."
This year, ongoing collaborative efforts to address salinity meant that five-yearly salinity targets were met at all sites except the Lower Darling.
"It is also pleasing to see Aboriginal involvement in water resource planning and environmental watering is leading to better understanding and incorporation of Aboriginal knowledge," Mr Glyde said.
"Another sign of strengthened engagement with communities in 2016 was the important initiative to trial Regional Engagement Officers in seven locations across the basin.
"It is heartening to see good progress made on projects that would lessen the burden on regional communities by allowing the sustainable diversion limit to be adjusted in the south, through improved efficiency of environmental watering, better river management practices or by overcoming physical limitations to water passing through the system. Thirty-seven projects had been submitted to the MDBA for assessment and more are expected by June 2017."
Mr Glyde welcomed the $263 million invested by the Australian Government last year to help water delivery systems and farm infrastructure become more water efficient.
"Not only does this investment help make the most of every drop, it puts money into basin communities during these years of adjustment."
Annual reporting for 2017 will take the form of an evaluation of the social, economic and environmental outcomes of the Plan in its first five years. The results of the evaluation will help governments make sure future implementation of the Plan is on track.
The Basin Plan annual report is available on the MDBA website at www.mdba.gov.au
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