ABC RURAL
Lined irrigation channel in the Trangie Nevertire Irrigation Scheme (Sally Bryant)
It's a landmark document that's had a profound influence on irrigation communities well before it was made law in November 2012.
The Murray-Darling Basin Blan, developed after decades of consultation, scientific studies, political bickering and numerous versions, has changed the face of water politics.
For most its a case of the glass half full.
Neither irrigators nor environmentalists are happy with the plan, and there's still a long way to go before all the water for the environment is delivered.
Farming communities and the environment suffered under the brutal drought earlier this century.
The environmental crisis that loomed forced the Federal Government to take action to save the river.
The Basin Plan names 2,750 gigalitres as the baseline target for the amount of water to be recovered for the Murray-Darling environment.
Irrigators and water authorities changed their business approach.
Murray Irrigation, based at Deniliquin in the state's south-west, accelerated its strategic plan in 2009.
The company delivers water to 1,200 irrigators across 750,000 hectares of dairy, rice, grain, cotton and vegetables.
"Unfortuntately there is a large volume of water leaving," says general manager Anthony Couroupis.
"Our strategic plan, once implemented, will reduce our footprint, reduce kilometres of channels, reduce our staff numbers and provide an increased reliance on technology."
"Behind it all was a decline in water availability, driven by the Basin Plan."
For the NSW Murray, the local recovery target is 262 gigalitres, of which 225 gigalitres has been recovered and the rest is under contract.
"The Commonwealth has committed itself to a priority on infrastructure water, (rather than water buybacks) which we commend.
"Every drop of water you take out has an impact, but if you're going to get it, infrastructure is the best way."
So what have communities learnt from the Basin Plan process?
Bruce Simpson is from the Murray Group of Concerned Communities - representing around 30,000 people in five local government shires in the central Murray.
He says while the plan has accelerated change in the region, water politics has brought communities closer together.
"As time has passed by the community has become more connected to water and what it means for their business and their prosperity.
"I think... six years later, the community have come to understand that they have to play a part in the policy formation of water.
"I think from today on, it's about how we rebuild certainty."
On the Lachlan
The Lachlan Valley in central west New South Wales says it’s a living example of how communities within the Murray Darling Basin could look in the future.
The Lachlan River is unique because vast tracts of water have already been subject to Government buybacks and environmental watering requirements have subsequently been met.
Irrigation group Lachlan Valley Water says between July 2008 and June 2010 the Federal Government purchased 83,000 megalitres of water entitlements on the Lachlan.
The NSW Government, through Riverbank, also owned 24,000 megalitres by June 2010, however its purchasing took place over a longer period of time, from 2006 onwards.
Because the Government now owns 17 per cent of water licences along the river, over 100,000 megalitres that was once available to grow crops is used elsewhere and the sustainable diversion limit of 48 gigalitres has already been returned to the environment.
Although the environmental needs of the River are being met it doesn’t necessarily mean farmers use of water is becoming more efficient.
Currently 15 farmers along the Lachlan have received funding through the on-farm irrigation efficiency program.
Executive officer of Lachlan Valley Water Mary Ewing would like to see more funding, but she knows that with so much water being take out of the region there is less willingness by the government to recover more water from the Lachlan, and saving more water may not be seen as a high priority.
"We're concerned about the lack of Government incentives for infrastructure in the area.
"The Government has already spent its money on buybacks in this Valley and it feels like it's not prepared to help Lachlan irrigators improve efficiencies."
Lachlan Valley Water also notes the fabric of communities along the River is changing.
Ms Ewing is concerned for what the future may hold.
"At this stage environmental usage is not generating the same economic activity as cropping and livestock."
So while the Murray Darling Basin Plan doesn't come into play until 2019, the effects of it are already being felt in the Lachlan.
The effect?
What effect will increased environmental flows have on rivers in the Basin?
Dr Glenn Wilson, is a senior research scientist with the Department of Ecosystem Management at the University of New England.
The freshwater ecologist has spent the last seven years getting wet and looking at the fish populations within the Basin's northern river systems and, in particular, how dam and river flows affect fish numbers and spawning patterns.
"Our river systems are naturally quite variable in their flow conditions. The species are quite adaptive to those variations in flow. Some seasons will have no flow while others, like the season we've just had, will have a number of floods.
"We need to understand what sort of releases to make from dams in order to keep the river systems, wetlands, and the flood plains kicking over.
The Murray-Darling Basin is proposing to put a larger volume of water back into the environment. That puts more pressure on researchers to understand and provide information on just what flows the river systems or the wetlands need.
Dr Wilson is also keen to learn how increased flows will affect fish reproduction.
"We need to understand when to release water, how long to release that water, and what sort of velocities to release it in."
A rise in fish numbers is expected with the introduction of the Basin plan.
"We'd expect to see more fish spawning, more of the smaller species like the rainbow fish, the smelt, and the bait fish type species spawning.
"You'd also expect to see greater numbers of the larger species like the yellow belly and bony bream."
Dr Wilson says farmers and communities can benefit from a healthier river system.
Federal infrastructure
What is happening with federal infrastructure money in NSW?
The NSW Water Commissioner David Harriss says NSW would like to receive more of the money allocated for infrastructure upgrades.
He says accessing money for on farm projects and on private land has been held back by the demands of the government bureaucracy, but he hopes that is changing.
David Harriss says he believes that the all the money allocated by the federal minister for upgrades has now been spent, but he says that despite NSW being home to nearly 50 per cent of the Basin, it has not received anything like half of the money.
Out of a total kitty of more than $4 billion, he says $708 million has been spent in NSW and a further $600 million has been allocated to NSW projects.
Mr Harriss says he would like to see NSW get the lion's share of the $1.77 billion yet to be allocated for infrastructure upgrades and he fears the money will run out soon.
He says he isn't happy with the amount of federal money allocated to NSW and deserves more assistance.
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