The SDLAM has a strict deadline of December 31, 2026, under the basin plan, and for any projects to be counted they must be complete and operational.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority chief executive Andrew McConville said some of the smaller projects would be delivered, and they had delivered some great environmental outcomes — including at the Chowilla floodplain in South Australia, Hattah Lakes in Victoria and Gayini Nimmie-Caira in NSW.
“However, we can clearly see that many of the significant projects will not be delivered and we can expect a shortfall compared to the 605Gl a year determined in 2017,” Mr McConville said.
“The report includes a revised and reduced supply estimate of between 250Gl to 350Gl — this is a shortfall of between 255Gl and 355Gl.
“The evidence base used to inform the report was obtained from the NSW, Victorian and South Australian state governments, who are responsible for implementing the projects.
“The-final SDLAM supply contribution will be determined by the package of projects delivered by state governments, and continued collaboration will be essential to achieving the intended outcomes.
“The authority acknowledges their ongoing co-operation in implementing the basin plan and their contributions to this assurance report.”
In 2026, the authority will reconcile and determine the final supply contribution from the completed package of measures.
“The MDBA will release a draft determination of the proposed Sustainable Diversion Limit adjustment, and the public will have an opportunity to make submissions on the draft determination in late 2026,” Mr McConville said.
The final reconciliation determination will be provided to the federal water minister by December 31, 2026, for consideration and decision.
More information on the reconciliation process is available at tinyurl.com/yc3wavx5
