After the review, expected to be completed by the end of 2026, the authority will consider changes and amendments to the basin plan.
According to documentation produced by the MDBA, they will release an update about every six months.
“Communities who live, work and rely on a healthy basin for their own health and prosperity will be a key focus of the basin plan review,” the MDBA said.
“After 10 years of basin plan implementation, these communities know what is working well and what could be improved or done differently.”
Community involvement may include community forums and meetings, targeted small group and one-on-one meetings, and invitations to provide formal submissions.
On sustainable water limits, the authority said the issue had been the subject of intense public scrutiny around the method, modelling and decision-making process for determining the settings of the basin plan, including the permitted level of water take.
“The basin plan review will consider the environmentally sustainable level of take (ESLT) and surface water and groundwater sustainable diversion limits (SDLs) using the best available knowledge,” the MDBA said.
“If change is needed, we will carefully examine options and test their impact.
“We’ll look at what outcomes are possible under the SDLs, and what else is needed to support the delivery of outcomes.”
The roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review was launched at the MDBA’s annual River Reflections conference by chair Sir Angus Houston on June 15.
Sir Angus said the roadmap included points along the way to test the settings and to consider where change is needed.
“We will listen to what you say and learn from you as we look to the future.”
Sir Angus said the release of the review roadmap was the first of many conversations.
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