Appendix 4

Roles and responsibilities for Murray–Darling Basin water reforms[1]

In broad terms, the roles and responsibilities for water reform in the Murray–Darling Basin are as follows:

The Minister for Water approves the Basin Plan (and any amendments), approves the use of program funding (water recovery, SDL adjustment measures etc.), considers evaluations of overall progress, and chairs the MDB Ministerial Council.
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is responsible for policy advice and program implementation, in particular investing in water recovery and SDL adjustment measures. The Department also chairs the Basin Officials Committee.
Murray–Darling Basin Authority oversees implementation of the Basin Plan, including the Sustainable Diversion Limits, reporting direct to the Minister.
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder manages the use of Commonwealth-held environmental water consistent with the Basin Plan, to achieve best possible environmental outcomes.
Basin States own water and are responsible for allocating it to licence holders consistent with their water resource plans. They also hold and deliver environmental water, and are responsible for implementing the Basin Plan in their own jurisdictions.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission provides advice to the Minister on water market rules and water charge rules which are intended to free up trade and regulate costs of monopoly infrastructure (e.g. access to irrigation schemes), and to monitor and enforce these rules.
Productivity Commission conducts 5 yearly audits of Basin Plan implementation.

Roles and responsibilities for Murray–Darling Basin water reforms

		Minister for Water
REVIEWS	SDL Adjustment Process	Support SDL adjustment package through Ministerial Council. Adopt amendments to Basin Plan giving effect to the proposed SDL adjustment.
	Constraints	Support constraints measures as part of SDL adjustment package. Note that some constraints projects are also likely to be SDL adjustment projects.
	Northern Basin Review (mid 2016)	Adopt any proposed amendments to Basin Plan and revisions to water recovery strategy in light of northern basin review.
WATER RECOVERY	Buybacks & Infrastructure	Decide on water recovery strategy.
BASIN PLAN	Prepare & implement Basin Plan	Adopt Basin Plan (done). Consider regular reports on Basin Plan implementation, including those to Ministerial Council.
	State Water Resource Plan (WRP) Accreditation	Decision to accredit each state WRP based on MDBA advice. There are 36 plans required by 2019.
	Environmental water planning and delivery	Considers reports on use of environmental water.
	Water Trade	Makes Water Market and Charge Rules on advice of ACCC (done).
	Monitoring and evaluation	Consider 5 yearly evaluations and PC audits.

		Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
REVIEWS	SDL Adjustment Process	As Chair of BOC, facilitate agreed package of SDL adjustment measures (see State role). Implement efficiency measures program and part-fund states to implement supply measures.
	Constraints	Manage $200 million to address constraints.
	Northern Basin Review (mid 2016)	Participate in the review. Consider changes to water recovery strategy in light of the review.
WATER RECOVERY	Buybacks & Infrastructure	Implement the Commonwealth's water recovery strategy including cap on buybacks, and recovery of water for enhanced environmental outcomes (efficiency measures) under the SDL adjustment mechanism.
BASIN PLAN	Prepare & implement Basin Plan	Input to draft Plan (done). As BOC Chair, facilitate development of agreed state comments (done).
	State Water Resource Plan (WRP) Accreditation
	Environmental water planning and delivery
	Water Trade	Participate in water market as per water recovery strategy.
	Monitoring and evaluation	Annual and five yearly reports on water recovery and investment to MDBA.

		Murray–Darling Basin Authority
REVIEWS	SDL Adjustment Process	Develop method for assessing ‘supply’ measures based on Basin Plan (done). Apply method and modelling to determine amount of adjustment. Advise Minister on proposed SDL adjustment to Basin Plan.
	Constraints	Develop Constraints Management Strategy. Provide technical advice to states on measures to best implement the strategy, where requested.
	Northern Basin Review (mid 2016)	Conduct ‘triple bottom line’ review to test if there is a case to change SDLs or pattern of water recovery in the northern basin. Advise Minister on amendments to Basin Plan and changes to water recovery strategy based on the review.
WATER RECOVERY	Buybacks & Infrastructure	Monitor and report progress with water recovery ('Bridging the Gap').
BASIN PLAN	Prepare & implement Basin Plan	Develop Basin Plan including consultation with states and stakeholders (done). Enforce Basin Plan including through annual assessment of state SDL compliance.
	State Water Resource Plan (WRP) Accreditation	Assess state water resource plans and advise Minister on their accreditation.
	Environmental water planning and delivery	Set long term outcomes for environmental watering across Basin (done) and set annual priorities. Coordinate environmental watering at a basin scale.
	Water Trade	Ensure compliance with Basin Plan water trading rules.
	Monitoring and evaluation	Monitor and evaluate economic and social outcomes across Basin with input from Dept on investment. Monitor and evaluate environmental outcomes with input from CEWO and States. PC to audit each 5 years.

		Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
REVIEWS	SDL Adjustment Process
	Constraints	Input as required.
	Northern Basin Review (mid 2016)	Participate in the review.
WATER RECOVERY	Buybacks & Infrastructure	Input as required.
BASIN PLAN	Prepare & implement Basin Plan
	State Water Resource Plan (WRP) Accreditation
	Environmental water planning and delivery	Manage Commonwealth environmental water holdings consistent with the Basin Plan.
	Water Trade	Manage Commonwealth water portfolio – including trading – in accordance with Water Act (under review).
	Monitoring and evaluation	Monitoring and evaluation of CEWO watering activities. Annual and five yearly reports to MDBA.

		Basin States
REVIEWS	SDL Adjustment Process	Develop proposed supply measures. Agree on package of SDL adjustment measures by 30 June 2016.
	Constraints	Develop proposals to address constraints by mid-2016. Implement agreed measures.
	Northern Basin Review (mid 2016)	Qld and NSW are participating in the review. They will need to advise on their preferred apportionment of the ‘downstream’ component before the review is finalised. Provide views on any proposed amendments to Basin Plan.
WATER RECOVERY	Buybacks & Infrastructure	Work with Commonwealth to identify ways to maximise water savings made through existing and proposed infrastructure projects (IGA).
BASIN PLAN	Prepare & implement Basin Plan	Advise state views on draft Basin Plan (done). States report on SDL compliance post 2019.
	State Water Resource Plan (WRP) Accreditation	Prepare WRPs suitable for C’wealth accreditation.
	Environmental water planning and delivery	Prepare valley-based long term environmental watering plans and annual priorities. Have regard to MDBA published priorities when conducting environmental watering.
	Water Trade	Implement state trade rules consistent with Basin Plan trade rules and processing trades.
	Monitoring and evaluation	Monitoring and evaluation of environmental outcomes at valley/local scale. Annual and five yearly reports to MDBA.

Navigation: Previous Page | Contents