The Murray-Darling Basin seems to be a taboo of a phrase these days and while I knew that it was highly controversial and has significant impacts on the environment, I wasn’t entirely sure what was causing all the alarm. I did some research and it turns out that it’s a difficult topic that stretches right back to 2012…
In 2012, Julia Gillard established the Murray-Darling Basin Plan as an agreement about how to use the water in the Murray-Darling Basin. This river system is 2 500 kilometres long and consists of a number of rivers in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia, all of which flow into two rivers; the Murray River and the Darling River.
The main issue the plan seeks to address is the division of water between irrigators (farmers needing water for crops and livestock) and the environment. This needed to addressed after the millennium drought (2002-2009) during which massive amounts of water was drained from the Murray-Darling Basin and used for agriculture and to support townships. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan sought to return 2 750 gigalitres of water to the environment to protect ecosystems that were damaged due to the exploitation of the basin during the drought.
However, the current drought has put that target under pressure with water demands, once again, soaring. The allocations of water were established in the 1980s and were not designed in relation to extreme drought. Solutions have been explored such as building infrastructure to protect ecosystems without having to return water however people are still divided over how to distribute water.
The main issue the plan seeks to address is the division of water between irrigators (farmers needing water for crops and livestock) and the environment. This needed to addressed after the millennium drought (2002-2009) during which massive amounts of water was drained from the Murray-Darling Basin and used for agriculture and to support townships. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan sought to return 2 750 gigalitres of water to the environment to protect ecosystems that were damaged due to the exploitation of the basin during the drought.
However, the current drought has put that target under pressure with water demands, once again, soaring. The allocations of water were established in the 1980s and were not designed in relation to extreme drought. Solutions have been explored such as building infrastructure to protect ecosystems without having to return water however people are still divided over how to distribute water.
It’s a difficult question to answer as there is sense in both sides. On one hand, it is really important that the Murray-Darling Basin have enough water to thrive as an eco-system. Afterall, we cannot expect to rely on it as a water source if it becomes contaminated due to pesticides and chemicals as well as reduce flow; nor can we continue to use it in agriculture if it runs dry as parts of the basin already have due to over-consumption. At the same time, it is really important that towns and farmers have access to water in order to keep rural communities alive and maintain local agricultural economies which create jobs and provide our society with food and textiles.
The NSW state government is currently seeking exemption from the need to put this water back in the river system as farmers and communities struggle to keep their livelihoods alive. Meanwhile, the basin ecosystems are under collapse with algae blooms suffocating fish and many rivers drying up completely. Its incredibly difficult to navigate this issue and there is definitely no easy answer. But it is important that people be aware of this situation and, crucially, be active in conserving water. For those of us lucky enough to live in a city, it is likely that our taps will continue to flow however many rural communities have already run out of water and are having to get it trucked in in barrels. This inevitably creates more waste and release more pollution from transportation.
It is clear that we need to act now to save the water we have left. If only it would rain.
The NSW state government is currently seeking exemption from the need to put this water back in the river system as farmers and communities struggle to keep their livelihoods alive. Meanwhile, the basin ecosystems are under collapse with algae blooms suffocating fish and many rivers drying up completely. Its incredibly difficult to navigate this issue and there is definitely no easy answer. But it is important that people be aware of this situation and, crucially, be active in conserving water. For those of us lucky enough to live in a city, it is likely that our taps will continue to flow however many rural communities have already run out of water and are having to get it trucked in in barrels. This inevitably creates more waste and release more pollution from transportation.
It is clear that we need to act now to save the water we have left. If only it would rain.