Who monitors the water quality in our rivers and oceans?

Based on the provided legislative context, I can only provide information regarding water quality monitoring within the Murray-Darling Basin.

In Plain English:

The Basin Plan 2012 outlines a plan for managing water quality and salinity in the Murray-Darling Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (the Authority) is responsible for estimating the amount of salt discharged from the River Murray System into the Southern Ocean. The Authority must then assess whether the salt export objective (to ensure adequate flushing of salt from the River Murray System into the Southern Ocean) is being achieved and publish these assessments on its website.

Detailed Explanation:

The Basin Plan 2012 establishes a water quality and salinity management plan for the Murray-Darling Basin. Part 4, Division 2 describes water quality targets to which particular entities must have regard when performing functions, including in relation to the management of water flows. Section 9.09 outlines the salt export objective for the River Murray System, requiring the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to:

• Estimate the discharge of salt from the River Murray System into the Southern Ocean every water accounting period (subsection 9.09(4)).
• Assess, on an annual basis, achievement of the salt export objective by comparing the estimated number of tonnes of salt exported per year averaged over the preceding 3 years against the indicative figure of 2 million tonnes of salt per year (subsection 9.09(5)).
• Publish each assessment on its website (subsection 9.09(6)).

I am unable to provide information about who monitors water quality in other rivers and oceans.