Contemporising best practice water management: lessons from the Murray-Darling Basin on participatory water management in a mosaiced landscape

ABSTRACT

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is generally applauded globally for ‘best-practice’ water management. The notion of ‘best practice’ is fluid, informed by constant learning from what works and what does not. The Plan’s 10-year anniversary in 2022 provides a pivotal point to reflect on practical lessons learnt throughout its implementation and incorporate those into contemporised ‘best practice’. This paper explores the emerging paradigm of participatory approaches with private landholders in the conservation and biodiversity fields, and its applicability to water management ‘best practice’. Through an original framework and case studies, we explore the opportunity that these practical exemplars offer to refine contemporary theoretical notions of best practice. A case is ultimately presented in which a contemporised paradigm – based on co-operation, co-benefit outcomes and participatory partnerships – offers significant potential for future management in the Basin, especially to overcome deeply entrenched trust deficits among communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Best practice water management
• participatory water management
• co-beneficial water management

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of Neil Bull, Environmental Projects Manager at the River Growers Association of Australia, for technical input towards this paper.

Disclosure statement

Author employment declarations: Christine Freak & Claire Miller (NSW Irrigators’ Council); Jennifer McLeod & Keith Thompson (Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Limited); Linda Christesen (Rice Growers’ Association of Australia).

The authors report there are no further competing interests to declare.

Notes

1. There remain some SDL resource units with local and shared water recovery targets that have not yet been met.

2. Uses including the environment (with 120 waterbird species, >50 native fish species, and 16 internationally significant wetlands), urban areas (>2.3 million people live in the Basin), cultural values (>40 First Nations) and agricultural land (with 40% of Australia’s agricultural production, valued at over $22 billion, with 7300 irrigated agricultural businesses.

3. For example, the Australian cotton industries myBMP includes protecting and retaining native animals and vegetation, as well as water management practices. See: Cotton Australia, ‘MyBMP Program’ (2021) <https://cottonaustralia.com.au/mybmp-program>.

4. Actual numbers are closely linked to the amount of rice sown in any particular season.

5. As an annual crop, Riverina rice production can be switched on or off depending on water availability. Most Riverina ricegrowers access water through a ‘General Security’ licence, which only receives an allocation after the needs of the environment, towns, and stock and domestic users have been met. The expected availability of water and the annual total of rice area harvested are closely correlated.

6. This value is the 1992 value not adjusted for inflation.

7. See CICL’s initial Irrigation Corporation Water Management Works Licence No. 4.

8. Ali Simmons, pers comm. Note: from internal data maintained by CICL Water Ops Department.

Additional information

Funding

The authors report there are no further funding details to declare.

Notes on contributors

Christine Freak

Christine Freak is the Policy Manager of the NSW Irrigators’ Council, holding a Master’s of Environmental Law and a Bachelor of Political, Economic & Social Sciences (University of Sydney). Christine grew up in the southern NSW Murray-Darling Basin, and northern NSW, and is passionate about finding sustainable and productive water policy solutions with rural communities.

Jennifer McLeod

Jennifer McLeod is the Manager of Policy & Communications for Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Limited, holding a Master’s Degree in Organisational Communication (Charles Sturt University) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture (Hons) (University of Melbourne). Jennifer is a director of National Irrigators’ Council and has more than 30 years experience in applied land and water management in the southern NSW and northern Victoria.

Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson is an Environmental Compliance Officer at Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Limited, holding a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Charles Sturt University). Keith has previously worked at Murray Irrigation Limited and West Corurgan Private Irrigation District.

Linda Christesen

Linda Christesen is the Water Policy Manager of the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia, holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Monash University. Linda has previously worked in a policy role for an Irrigation Infrastructure Operator, and held senior water policy positions in the Victorian public service.

Claire Miller

Claire Miller is the CEO of the NSW Irrigators’ Council, holding a Masters of Environmental Science. Claire has almost 40 years of experience in complex policy environments, including working a journalist and as a senior ministerial water policy advisor. Claire is also a director on the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority board.