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Our plain-language Guide to the Environmental Watering Plan unpacks who's responsible for what, and the benefits we can expect from water for the environment.

Basin state governments are responsible for developing plans. The Murray–Darling Basin Authority assesses the plans and provides advice for accreditation. Water resource plans must be accredited by the Commonwealth Minister responsible for water.

Each year the Basin governments report on how they are implementing the Basin Plan.

The Environmental Watering Plan (Chapter 8 of the Basin Plan) came into effect in 2012. It sets out environmental objectives and targets for water-dependent ecosystems, a planning framework for managing planned and held environmental water to meet these objectives, methods to identify environmental assets and principles to prioritise the use of water for the environment.

Every 5 years as part of the Basin Plan’s monitoring and evaluation program, Basin governments report on how they are implementing different elements of the Basin Plan.

We spoke with a selection of River reflections presenters and attendees to get their thoughts on the conference and future water management challenges.

A transcript of Sir Angus Houston's keynote address to the River reflections conference in Mildura: The Future of the Murray–Darling Basin.

Murray–Darling Basin Authority Chair Sir Angus Houston addresses the River reflections conference.

Giving rivers in the southern Murray–Darling Basin the best chance to thrive in the long-term relies on the final pieces of the Basin Plan being implemented, a national water conference heard today.

The Murray–Darling Basin is the largest and most complex river system in Australia. It covers 1 million square kilometres of south-eastern Australia, across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.