LAW REFORM
What is the Water Act? And why does it matter?
Join us for a free webinar to learn more about this important review, why it matters, and how you can make an impactful submission.
When
Wednesday, 19 August
12:30pm - 1:15pm, AEST
Where
Online via Zoom – RSVP to receive the link.
WHAT
You’ll hear from Environmental Justice Australia lawyers, leaders from Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) and campaigners from the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance.
This is a free event and open to the public. Please feel free to share it with your networks.
RSVP here
Why the Water Act review matters for Australia’s rivers
The Murray-Darling Basin is Australia’s largest river system.
Its rivers, wetlands and floodplains are deeply connected to the cultures, rights and responsibilities of First Nations Peoples. They sustain internationally important wildlife and support more than two million people, farms and regional communities.
But the Basin is one of the most vulnerable river systems on the planet. It's under pressure from climate change and from decades of over-extraction contributing to environmental decline.
The rivers, floodplains and wetlands of the Basin depend, in significant part, on the laws that protect them.
This year, the Australian government is carrying out an independent review of the Water Act 2007 – the federal law that provides the legal framework for the Murray-Darling Basin.
Reviews like this don’t happen often. The recommendations from this review will help inform government decisions about whether or how Australia's water laws should change Australia's water laws should change, and set the next chapter of water policy in the Basin.
It's an important opportunity for Australians to have a say.
What is the Water Act?
The Water Act was introduced in 2007 following the Millennium Drought, after governments recognised the dire need for a coordinated approach to managing this interconnected river system in the national interest.
It's the Commonwealth law that establishes the legal framework for managing water across the Murray-Darling Basin and provides the legal foundation for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The Act is the framework for decisions about:
- how much water can be taken from the Murray-Darling Basin
- environmentally sustainable limits on water extraction
- environmental water management
- long-term planning for the Basin
It also established the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and sets out how the Commonwealth and Basin states work together. It also includes national arrangements for water information, water markets and water charges.
Why is it being reviewed?
The Water Act requires an independent review of how the Act is operating.
Anthea Harris has been appointed to examine whether the Act is achieving its objectives and whether improvements should be made, in the face of evolving environmental and policy challenges.
The review will look at issues including:
- the extent to which the objects of the Act have been achieved
- opportunities to better reflect the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- the operation of the Act including such considerations as:
- how environmental water can best achieve environmental outcomes
- whether governance arrangements are effective and transparent
- how the Act aligns with the National Water Agreement
- arrangements that support resilient Basin communities and water security.
The reviewer will provide recommendations to the Australian government by early 2027.
Why does this review matter?
The review will inform future decisions about one of Australia's most important environmental laws.
The independent reviewer is inviting submissions from anyone with an interest in the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. You can respond to the Discussion Paper by completing a short survey or making a written submission until 31 August.
Whether you've written a submission before or not, our webinar will explain the review, unpack the key issues and help you prepare your own response.
Register (at top of page) to join the webinar.
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