On 18 March the Authority met on Gayini, on the lands of the Nari Nari Tribal Council and were welcomed to Country by Mr Jamie Woods, the Chair of the Nari Nari Tribal Council who also provided a tour of the restoration of Country that has been undertaken over the past 7 years. On 19 March, the meeting continued on the lands of the Wiradjuri people in Griffith, New South Wales (NSW) and was chaired by Daryl Quinlivan.
Authority members noted the current water resource position in the River Murray System with the majority of the resource located in Dartmouth Dam, the most efficient storage. Monthly inflows since March 2023 have been below the long term average, and total water in storage is just below the long term average for this time of year.
The Authority discussed the challenges with the ageing water assets (storages, weirs and locks), and the importance of these assets in managing water resources for the economy, communities and the environment. Members noted the work underway to address these asset risks, including progress in moving to a multi-year budget and planning for renewing these assets.
The Authority reviewed and endorsed the design approach for presenting the Sustainable Rivers Audit (SRA), which will provide an assessment of the current condition of the Basin and how this has changed over time. The first draft of the long form SRA report will be provided to the Authority for consideration in April ahead of a planned mid-year publication alongside the Basin Plan Evaluation.
Members discussed and provided direction on the first draft of the 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation overview report. The Evaluation is a critical milestone on the roadmap to the Basin Plan Review—it is the most significant body of evidence to date that comprehensively assesses the effectiveness of the Basin Plan including its contribution to system health and the observed outcomes. The Evaluation is on track for release alongside the Sustainable Rivers Audit prior to River Reflections conference in late July 2025.
Members received a verbal update of the progress of the Basin Plan Review Roadmap and reviewed early inputs to the Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper. The MDBA is undertaking the Basin Plan Review to learn the lessons of the Plan’s implementation to date and identify ways to strengthen water management in the Murray–Darling Basin to sustain rivers, for generations. The Discussion Paper will be released in early 2026 for a minimum of 12 weeks public consultation ahead of a Final Report being released in late 2026.
As part of the Basin Plan Review, the MDBA will be assessing how effective the sustainable diversion limits (extraction limits) are in supporting the environmental outcomes sought by the Basin Plan over the next 10 years and in the longer term. The Authority was provided with an update on the development of the assessment method and recent engagement with the Basin states.
Chief Executive Andrew McConville provided the Authority with an update of recent operational activities across the MDBA. The Authority noted updates from Division Executive Directors.
Daryl Quinlivan (Chair)
Mr Andrew McConville (Chief Executive)
Ms Allison Mudford
Dr Jane Doolan
Mr Rene Woods
Ms Roseanne Healy
Professor Stuart Bunn