2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review Submission

The Conservation Council ACT Region calls for restoring natural flow regimes, transparent governance arrangements and climate-adjusted planning in the Upper Murrumbidgee River – Submission to the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review.

We have provided feedback to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper. 

Our submission calls for stronger environmental protections, improved governance, and greater recognition of the importance of headwater systems such as the Upper Murrumbidgee River. Click here to read the full submission.

The Murrumbidgee River is one of Australia’s most regulated river systems and faces systemic challenges under the current Basin Plan. In the ACT, the Murrumbidgee, Molongolo, and Cotter River catchments are essential for our drinking water supply and have outstanding ecological, cultural and recreational values. Long-term flow regulation associated with dam infrastructure and the Snowy Hydro Scheme, combined with insufficient environmental flows and weak governance arrangements, has contributed to declining river health and widespread ecosystem degradation. 

Our submission makes a series of recommendations to strengthen the management of the Upper Murrumbidgee River in the Basin Plan, including:

• Strengthening environmental flow allocations and protection, including applying enforceable, volumetric environmental release targets for the Murrumbidgee and montane rivers.
• Restoring seasonal flow regimes in the Upper Murrumbidgee and increasing the frequency and magnitude of high-flow events to support ecological processes. 
• Integrating climate-adjusted planning into Basin systems.
• Improving river connectivity and habitat condition to support the recovery of native fish species.
• Reconsidering the interaction between the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed and Snowy Water Licence and the provisions of the Water Act 2007, so that the Upper Murrumbidgee River receives the same protections and monitoring that apply to other Basin rivers.
• Enhancing monitoring, transparency and governance arrangements, including through extending the remit of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance to the Upper Murrumbidgee and other montane rivers.

As a member of the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance, the Conservation Council of the ACT Region is proud to stand alongside other Basin state Conservation Councils to advocate for stronger protections for the Basin’s rivers, wetlands and communities. The Alliance emphasises the importance of transparent governance, science-based decision-making and meaningful community engagement in shaping the future of Basin management. You can read their submission on the Basin Plan Review here.

The 2026 Basin Plan Review, the first major review since the Basin Plan’s introduction in 2012, comes at a critical time as scientific evidence continues to show that many environmental flow targets are not being met and climate change is placing increasing pressure on Basin systems. Without stronger action, there is a significant risk that ecological decline will continue across the Basin.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is expected to provide a final review report to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, later this year.