The Authority met with the members of the Basin Community Committee (BCC) who reflected on current community sentiment and discussed plans for the Basin Leaders’ Summit in April. Authority members thanked the BCC for their commitment to collaborate on matters important to Basin communities and for their reflections on recent engagements with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in relation to the Government’s approach to progressing implementation.
Members received an in-depth briefing on the remaining New South Wales (NSW) water resource plans and discussed recommendations to be made on accreditation. The Authority noted progress made in the assessment and accreditation of 6 additional NSW water resource plans since June 2023 – bringing the total to 11of the 20 accredited. The Authority also reinforced that remaining plans must meet the requirements of the Basin Plan in terms of content and participation of First Nations communities.
In considering the plans supplied by NSW for the Gwydir Alluvium and Namoi Alluvium ground water areas, the Authority agreed there are grounds for recommending that the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Water not accredit the proposed water resource plans. Members authorised the MDBA Chief Executive to issue formal notice to the NSW Government, commencing the 14-day period for NSW to provide submissions in relation to these grounds.
Authority members discussed the Early Insights Paper, to be released at the upcoming River Reflections conference. The Early Insights paper will share the Authority’s views on key issues of focus ahead of the 2026 Basin Plan Review.
The Authority was updated on progress in the development of the Constraints relaxation implementation roadmap to be prepared by the Authority, and as required under the Restoring our Rivers Act. This roadmap is to be delivered by the end of 2024.
The Authority considered and agreed on the overarching method to deliver the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation, and the approach to Basin scale reporting to be adopted in the final Evaluation report.
The Authority approved the 2022–23 Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Accounts – Registers of Take and Interim Registers of Take and agreed to provide these to the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC). The Authority noted the updates and progress in NSW SDL accounting methods, in line with previous commitments made by NSW.
Briefings were provided on key water management and water quality issues, as well as science project governance across MDBA. The Authority also received updates from DCCEEW and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder.
In closing the meeting, members noted the continued work of MDBA and Basin States to manage storages and meet system demands.
The Authority farewelled Executive Directors Andrew Reynolds and Annette Blyton, acknowledging their significant contributions to the leadership of the MDBA over many years.
- Sir Angus Houston (Chair)
- Professor Stuart Bunn
- Dr Jane Doolan
- Ms Roseanne Healy
- Mr Rene Woods
- Ms Susan Madden
- Mr Andrew McConville (Chief Executive)
END