Intergovernmental Agreement on Implementing Water Reform in the Murray Darling Basin.

The objective of this Agreement between the Commonwealth and the participating Murray-Darling Basin State Governments is to ensure that the Commonwealth led Basin water reforms, including the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, are implemented in a cost effective manner to support the national interest of improving river and wetland health, putting water use on a sustainable footing, enhancing irrigation productivity, providing water for critical human needs, and providing farmers and communities with more confidence to plan for a future with less water. The Parties agree to use their best endeavours to implement the Basin Plan and associated measures outlined in this Agreement and its schedules and agree to cooperate in the implementation of the Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) Adjustment Mechanism in the Basin Plan as set out in the attached Protocol at Schedule 1 and to the implementation of environmental measures in the northern Basin as set out in Schedule 3 of this Agreement. The Agreement dedicates chapters to the following matters: roles and responsibilities (of the Parties), implementation of the ‘Bridging the Gap’ commitment, Surface Water SDL Adjustment Mechanism and constraints funding arrangements, managing water for the environment, community assistance, community engagement, financial arrangements, investment in continuing science and new knowledge generation, transition and risk assignment.