The Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment has released its Water Management Plan for 2020‑21.
The plan, developed by the Department’s Environmental Water Office, scopes how water for the environment can help keep rivers and wetlands across the Murray-Darling Basin healthy — under conditions ranging from wet to dry.
Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Jody Swirepik said that over the next 12 months, water for the environment would support native fish and bird breeding and help care for internationally important wetlands.
“The people who live, work and play in the Basin will also continue to enjoy the benefits that come from a healthy river system,” Ms Swirepik said.
“Central to our planning is matching supply with demand — we compare how much water we are likely to have with what the environment needs.”
She said how they achieved that aim depended on how much water was allocated.
“With the recent good rains in many catchments we, like irrigators, are hoping for better allocations in the coming season,” Ms Swirepik said.
“The plan is the result of months of working with water managers, scientists, First Nations peoples and local communities to prioritise critical sites across the Basin and carefully plan where water for the environment will be delivered in the year ahead.”
She said the Department worked closely with many people and organisations to plan water use and for the first time this year’s plan included formal input from the Murray Lower Darling River Indigenous Nations and the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations.
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Management Plan for 2020-21 and summary brochure are available at this PS News link.
