With warmer, drier conditions forecast across much of the Murray-Darling Basin, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is preparing to deploy environmental water where it can make the greatest difference for rivers, wetlands, native fish, waterbirds and vegetation.
CEWH Dr Simon Banks said co-ordinated summer flows across the northern basin, protection of drought refuges in the Upper Murrumbidgee, autumn flows supporting native fish movement and riverbank plants in the Goulburn River, and comprehensive watering of the Macquarie Marshes headlined a successful 2025-26 year for Commonwealth water for the environment.
“The environmental watering successes across multiple years have set us up with a firm foundation to manage potentially difficult conditions as they emerge across the Basin,” Dr Banks said.
“We need to make every drop count, so our 2026-27 Water Management Plan that we have launched today considers varying scenarios and guides environmental flows where they can achieve the greatest ecological impact.
“We manage water equivalent to around 6.5 per cent of average Basin inflows and have delivered 93 per cent of our allocated environmental water since 2008-09.”
Dr Banks said the CEWH’s priorities remained clear: maintaining river connectivity, supporting native fish, waterbird and vegetation outcomes and building resilience across the basin’s internationally important wetlands and waterways.
“Environmental outcomes are also strengthened through the CEWH’s Environmental Activities Program which invests in projects such as fishways, wetland infrastructure and works that reconnect rivers, creeks and floodplains,” he said.
