Basin-wide environmental watering strategy

The Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy is the long-term plan to provide water for the environment in the Basin.  

The strategy guides environmental watering decisions at sites across the Basin. Sites where environmental water has been managed according to the strategy demonstrate improved environmental condition across a range of factors.  

The draft strategy was open for feedback from 18 November to 6 December 2024. If you submitted feedback, you’ll get an email from us to let you know the final strategy is available.  

All input will be captured and considered, and we’ll release the final updated strategy in March 2025. 

Review of the strategy every 5 years

This strategy must be updated every 5 years, as per the Water Act 2007. This year is its third iteration.

The strategy helps to set out a clear vision for the Basin’s environment. It shares improvements we expect to see, based on water being recovered for the Basin environment and other measures implemented to improve the river systems. This includes:

• river flows and connectivity
• native vegetation
• waterbirds  
• native fish.  

We are working closely with Basin states, scientists and environmental water managers to develop the strategy.  

This strategy is helping to improve the scientific knowledge base for the upcoming Basin Plan Review process in the coming years.  

The Strategy does not provide climate change adaptations, as the pathway for adaptation is expected to come out of the 2026 Basin Plan review.

The expected environmental outcomes have remained the same. However, the timeframe in which they are to be achieved has been updated to 2027 to reflect ongoing implementation of the Basin Plan.