Who is in charge of managing water resources in Australia?

In Plain English:

Based on the provided documents, managing water resources in Australia is a shared responsibility. The Water Act 2007 provides a framework for managing the Murray-Darling Basin, which is a large water resource. The Basin States (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory) develop water resource plans. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority reviews these plans and makes recommendations to the Minister. Ultimately, the Minister for Water Resources (or the Minister for the Environment and Water, as indicated in the Water (Accredited Water Resource Plan—NSW Murray and Lower Darling) Instrument 2024) decides whether to accredit these plans. Additionally, the Bureau of Meteorology plays a role in collecting, managing, and disseminating water information.

Detailed Explanation:

The management of water resources in Australia involves multiple entities and levels of government, as evidenced by the provided legislative context.

  1. Legislative Framework: The Water Act 2007 establishes the framework for managing water resources, particularly within the Murray-Darling Basin. Subsection 54(1) necessitates water resource plans for each identified area in the Basin Plan.

  2. Basin States: According to section 63 of the Water Act 2007, Basin States (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory) are responsible for developing proposed water resource plans. These plans outline water management arrangements for both surface water and groundwater within their respective areas, as indicated in the explanatory statements of accreditation decisions for various water resource plans (Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (surface water) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (groundwater) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (South Australian River Murray Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (Australian Capital Territory (surface water) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020, Water Act (Australian Capital Territory (groundwater) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020).

  3. Murray-Darling Basin Authority (the Authority): The Basin States submit their proposed water resource plans to the Authority for consideration. The Authority then reviews the plans and provides recommendations to the Minister regarding accreditation (Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (surface water) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (Wimmera-Mallee (groundwater) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (South Australian River Murray Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2019, Water Act (Australian Capital Territory (surface water) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020, Water Act (Australian Capital Territory (groundwater) Water Resource Plan) Accreditation Decision 2020).

  4. The Minister: The Minister responsible for water resources (historically the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management, but more recently the Minister for the Environment and Water, or the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) makes the final decision on whether to accredit a water resource plan, as per section 63 of the Water Act 2007. The Minister must be satisfied that the plan aligns with the relevant Basin Plan.

  5. Bureau of Meteorology: The Bureau has the function of collecting, holding, managing, interpreting and disseminating Australia’s water information as per section 120 of the Water Act 2007.

Therefore, the management of water resources in Australia is a collaborative effort involving Basin States, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and the relevant Minister, with the Bureau of Meteorology providing essential water information.