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| Murray Darling Basin Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Murray Darling Basin Association |
| Abbreviation | MDBA |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Type | Non-profit advocacy group |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Region served | Murray–Darling Basin |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | John Thwaites |
Murray Darling Basin Association is an Australian non-profit organisation focused on policy, science and community engagement concerning the Murray–Darling Basin. Established in 1948, the Association has engaged with federal institutions, state parliaments and regional bodies to influence water management, environmental restoration and agricultural practices. Its work intersects with major entities such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and state water authorities.
The Association traces roots to post-World War II debates involving the Australian Parliament, the Commonwealth of Australia and state governments about river regulation and irrigation. Early efforts paralleled projects like the Murray River Commission and initiatives associated with the Snowy Mountains Scheme, engaging with figures from the Department of the Interior (Australia) and regional councils. During the 1970s and 1980s it interacted with inquiries such as the House of Representatives select committee reviews and contributed to exchanges around the Water Act 2007 negotiations that later led to the establishment of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
The Association is governed by a board comprising representatives from basin constituencies including irrigators, Indigenous organisations, conservation groups and local councils such as the Albury City Council and the Wagga Wagga City Council. Membership historically included unions like the National Farmers' Federation, environmental organisations including Australian Conservation Foundation and community groups from towns along the Murray River, Darling River and Murrumbidgee River. Liaison occurs with academic institutions such as the University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide and research agencies including CSIRO and state departments like the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
The Association promotes integrated basin management, sustainable irrigation, and protection of wetland systems such as the Coorong and Macquarie Marshes. Activities include producing submissions to parliamentary inquiries, briefing ministers in the Australian Capital Territory, hosting conferences in cities such as Canberra and Adelaide, and commissioning reports from consultants affiliated with the Australian National University and private firms. It organizes workshops with stakeholders from the Victorian Water Corporation and the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board.
The Association has influenced policy debates around allocations under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan and advocated positions during negotiations involving the Council of Australian Governments and the Productivity Commission. It has engaged with ministers from administrations led by the Howard ministry, Rudd government and Turnbull Government, and provided evidence to inquiries held by the Senate of Australia and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources. The Association’s advocacy has intersected with litigation such as cases heard in the High Court of Australia over water rights and with international frameworks like agreements under the United Nations Environment Programme when wetlands of international importance were discussed.
Notable initiatives include collaborative programs with the Murray–Darling Basin Commission predecessors to improve salinity control, pilot schemes for environmental water delivery in partnership with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and cross-border catchment projects with the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage. It has supported monitoring programs using methodologies from the Bureau of Meteorology and datasets managed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and promoted indigenous co-management aligned with native title decisions adjudicated by the Federal Court of Australia.
The Association has faced criticism from environmental NGOs like Greenpeace and from community groups during high-profile events such as the Basin droughts and fish kill incidents in the Menindee Lakes. Critics have accused the Association of favouring irrigator interests aligned with organisations such as the Irrigation Australia Limited and of insufficiently prioritising ecological flows demanded by conservationists associated with the WWF-Australia. Debates have involved media outlets including The Australian Financial Review and inquiries by the Australian National Audit Office.
Over decades the Association has shaped discourse on river regulation, salinity mitigation and rural livelihoods across states including Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Its legacy includes contributions to basin-wide planning instruments that influenced the creation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan and institutional arrangements that informed the work of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority and state natural resources bodies. The Association remains a touchstone in ongoing negotiations among rural stakeholders, Indigenous communities represented through bodies such as the National Native Title Tribunal and federal policymakers.
Category:Organisations based in Australia Category:Murray-Darling basin