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M a r a L n o a Key facts
Albury R i o v • e The Murray– Roma Charleville r Shepparton ne Riv • mi er d • da Con Australia needs a sustainable and d k BRISBANE healthy river system—our economy, ee Darling Basin r er C iv ■ o ie R oon • Toowoomba food security, communities and ne M i
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e u R e v SOUTH C ra r v e i i r v More than 2.2 million a iv r NEW SOUTH WALES R e R N • r
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e a r r It covers one million square kilometres of south- ie • The Basin is Australia’s
r R • e iv iv e R r eastern Australia, across New South Wales, largest area for agricultural Broken Hill ng rli a production and is our main • D Dubbo Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the • food bowl, producing Australian Capital Territory. $24 billion worth of food Ivanhoe and fibre every year. •Willandra Creek Forbes Orange Over the years, the combination of natural droughts and r ive • increasing human use of the waterways for agriculture, n R • la ch La SYDNEY manufacturing and communities has led to a decline in the Renmark River Murray ■ Our rivers and lakes Mildura Grifth health of the Basin. • • Murrumbidg ee R•iv support a unique habitat, MELBOURNE er ADELAIDE In 2012, there was widespread agreement across critical to more than Ed Wagga Wagga war
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• R e Water is essential for our r • Horsham ive Seymour r • a healthier and sustainable system, while continuing to spiritual and cultural support farming and other industries for the benefit of wellbeing—the Basin is MELBOURNE the Australian community. It sets limits on the amount of home to more than 40 of VICTORIA ■ water that can be taken from the Basin each year, while Australia’s First Nations. leaving enough for our rivers, lakes and wetlands and the plants and animals that depend on them.
The Basin is important to We are all impacted directly or indirectly by the Basin and our economy. It supports what happens to it. It’s our shared resource, so it’s our tens of thousands of shared responsibility to achieve a sustainable and healthy businesses, brings in river system for our current and future generations. $8 billion in tourism annually and is a key Connect with us. The MDBA has offices in Adelaide, Albury-Wodonga, Canberra, driver of employment. Goondiwindi, Griffith, Mildura, Murray-Bridge, Toowoomba, and regional engagement officers around the Basin.
The Murray–Darling Basin 1800 230 067
mdba.gov.au
The Murray–Darling Basin and water management | Murray–Darling Basin Authority August 2020 MDBA1265 Water management in the Murray–Darling Basin
Usage is managed through Water is managed through Salt interception sustainable diversion limits Monitoring and local water plans and water schemes help and within a compliance evaluation are carried resources plans mitigate salinity framework out on annual and five- yearly cycles Water quality is monitored at sites along the river system
Water quality can be affected by salinity, blue green algae, low oxygen, nutrients, turbidity and high temperatures
Dams, barrages and weirs regulate water flows and facilitate delivery of water to communities, irrigators and the environment
Water can be traded Water infrastructure is between users, developed to ensure Basin governments and within set limits water flows where it communities adjust their is needed Water is managed in approach in response to partnership by the Australian new information and local Government, New South Wales, knowledge Water is vital to Aboriginal Queensland, South Australia, Planning and forecasting culture, spirituality, identity Victoria and the Australian prepare for the future and wellbeing Capital Territory Water is allocated to the Managing groundwater environment to protect is important to vital ecosystems preserve and improve water quality