Abstract
The policy failure of successive governments who over-allocated river water for agricultural consumption in the Murray–Darling Basin is now being addressed through the purchasing of ‘environmental water’ to boost river health. Already, 920 gigalitres of water has been purchased from farmers selling their consumptive-water entitlements to the Federal Government’s Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH). The Murray–Darling Basin Plan extends this work, proposing that an additional 2080 GL be purchased, to reach the target of 3000 GL. This planning is in line with the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth), which directs that the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) develop a water-management regime that returns water extraction to environmentally sustainable levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Basin futures: Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin |
| Editors | Daniel Connell, R. Quentin Grafton |
| Place of Publication | Canberra, A.C.T. |
| Publisher | Australian National University E Press |
| Pages | 179-191 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781921862250 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781921862243 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |