The Northern Basin Review - Murray-Darling Basin Authority

1 The Northern Basin Review Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin November 2016 The Northern Basin Review - Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin Published by the Murray Darling Basin Authority Postal Address: GPO Box 1801, Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone: (02) 6279 0100 international + 61 2 6279 0100 Facsimile: (02) 6248 8053 international + 61 2 6248 8053 Email: Internet: MDBA publication no: 39/16 ISBN (online): 978-1-925599-00-8 ISBN (print): 978-1-925221-92-3 All material and work produced by the Murray Darling Basin Authority constitutes Commonwealth copyright. MDBA reserves the right to set out the terms and conditions for the use of such material.

2 With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, photographs, the Murray Darling Basin Authority logo or other logos and emblems, any material protected by a trade mark, any content provided by third parties, and where otherwise noted, all material presented in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution licence. Murray Darling Basin Authority 2016. The Murray Darling Basin Authority s preference is that you attribute this publication (and any Murray Darling Basin Authority material sourced from it) using the following wording within your work: Title: The Northern Basin Review Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin Source: Licensed from the Murray Darling Basin Authority under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence As far as practicable, material for which the copyright is owned by a third party will be clearly labelled.

3 The Murray Darling Basin Authority has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that this material has been reproduced in this publication with the full consent of the copyright owners. Inquiries regarding the licence and any use of this publication are welcome by contacting the Murray Darling Basin Authority . Disclaimer To the extent permitted by law, the Murray Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth excludes all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this report (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained within it. Accessibility The Murray Darling Basin Authority makes its documents and information available in accessible formats.

4 On some occasions the highly technical nature of the document means that we cannot make some sections fully accessible. If you encounter accessibility problems or the document is in a format that you cannot access, please contact us. The Northern Basin Review - Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin Acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners of the Murray Darling Basin The Murray Darling Basin Authority acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners, and their Nations, of the Murray Darling Basin , who have a deep cultural, social, environmental , spiritual and economic connection to their lands and waters. The MDBA understands the need for recognition of Traditional Owner knowledge and cultural values in natural resource management associated with the Basin .

5 The approach of Traditional Owners to caring for the natural landscape, including water, can be expressed in the words of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations Board: ..As the First Nations peoples (Traditional Owners) we are the knowledge holders, connected to Country and with the cultural Authority to share our knowledge. We offer perspectives to balance and challenge other voices and viewpoints. We aspire to owning and managing water to protect our totemic obligations, to carry out our way of life, and to teach our younger generations to maintain our connections and heritage through our own law and customs. When Country is happy, our spirits are happy. This report may contain photographs or quotes by Aboriginal people who have passed away. The use of terms Aboriginal and Indigenous reflects usage in different communities within the Murray Darling Basin .

6 The Northern Basin Review - Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin Table of Contents Foreword .. 1 The decision-making process .. 3 Summary of the proposed amendment and other recommendations .. 4 Proposed amendment .. 5 Other recommendations .. 8 Why we needed to take a closer look at the Northern Basin .. 9 Proposed changes to Northern Basin settings .. 11 The decision-making process .. 31 New knowledge .. 33 Northern Basin Advisory Committee (NBAC) .. 33 Better understanding Northern Basin economies .. 34 Better understanding the communities of the north .. 36 Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) .. 38 Better understanding of native plants, birds and fish .. 42 Better understanding Northern Basin rivers .. 43 Assumptions and uncertainties.

7 46 Other considerations .. 47 environmental watering .. 47 Climate change .. 47 Surface water groundwater connectivity .. 47 Next steps .. 48 Appendix A Northern Basin Review publications .. 49 Appendix B The recommended package of toolkit measures accompanying the 320 GL proposed amendment .. 52 The Northern Basin Review - Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin What is this report about? This report sets out the outcomes of the Northern Basin Review . It covers the steps of the Review , the MDBA's recommendation and potential changes, and how the decision was reached. It contains a summary of the economic, social and environmental analysis, and what was heard from communities. What information is this report based on?

8 This report is based on the suite of documents prepared when undertaking the Northern Basin Review . This includes hydrological modelling, an extensive body of work to understand communities, Aboriginal sociocultural research, economic research and modelling, environmental research and analysis, and community feedback. The full list of documents prepared for the Review is at Appendix A. The use of modelling in the Northern Basin Review The models used in the Northern Basin Review were representations of the Northern Basin and are based on historical data. All models have limitations, and these limitations are different in the different types of models. Despite these difficulties the models used for the Northern Basin Review were based on the best available science. The Authority 's proposed amendment was based not only on modelled outcomes, but considered other relevant information.

9 For further information on the assumptions and uncertainties on the modelling, please see page 47. What is the Northern Basin Review ? The Basin Plan seeks to deliver vibrant communities, productive industries and healthy rivers. The Northern Basin Review provides information to support this vision; and specifically reviews the current Basin Plan recovery target of 390 GL of water for the river systems of the Northern Basin . The outcomes of the Review have led the Authority to propose resetting the amount of water to be recovered from the Northern Basin . Is the Review about more than water recovery volumes? Yes. Northern Basin communities have explained that any solution to a healthy working Basin must consider more than a volume of water. The Authority considered management activities that complement water recovery in coming to the proposed amendment to the Basin Plan.

10 What was involved in the Review ? A range of new research projects were commissioned so we could better understand the unique communities, agricultural production systems and environment of the Northern Basin . The projects were completed between 2013 and 2016. The Review also involved refining the hydrological modelling to test different water recovery options. See the references section of this report to learn more. Do communities have a say? Yes, they do. There is a formal Basin Plan amendment process in 2016 17. As part of that process, people have opportunities to provide their views to the Murray Darling Basin Authority . The Northern Basin Review - Understanding the economic, social and environmental outcomes from water recovery in the Northern Basin Page 1 Foreword The Northern Basin Review represents an opportunity to check if the targets set for water recovery in Northern Basin catchments are appropriate.