In November 2025, a two-day workshop was held at the University of Canberra to explore one central question: “How can we massively scale up integrated waterway and catchment management across the Murray–Darling Basin?”

Bringing together around 20 leaders in integrated waterway and catchment management — with input from policymakers, practitioners, researchers, First Nations experts and innovators — the workshop provided a focused environment for honest dialogue, shared insight and collaborative problem-solving. This small, diverse group laid the foundation for broader Basin-wide engagement on the future of waterway and catchment recovery.

The Declaration presented below reflects the collective views developed through this collaboratively convened process. The contributing leaders invite governments, communities, industry, First Nations organisations and researchers to join them in turning shared intent into coordinated action across the Murray–Darling Basin.

One Basin CRC is proud to have convened this process alongside these leaders.

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Preamble

In 1995, Basin governments introduced a cap on water diversions. Since then, Australia has recovered water for the environment: about 30% of the water once used for irrigation has now been secured for environmental use, and sustainable diversion limits have been set, and are being met across the Basin.

This is a globally significant achievement. Around the world, river basins that support irrigated food and fibre production are increasingly degraded, with rivers, lakes, estuaries and wetlands drying and ecosystems collapsing. The Murray–Darling Basin is proof of what is possible when governments and communities act with resolve to rebalance human and environmental water needs.

Given the considerable cost of water recovery and the social and economic challenges faced by the communities most reliant on irrigation water, it is critical to ensure we make the most of this progress on water returned to the environment. 

More work is needed to recover fish populations, which are continuing to decline, waterbird populations which have not recovered from low levels, and address ongoing water quality and riparian habitat problems across the basin. 

The ecological crisis is also a cultural and psychological one—felt acutely by First Nations peoples and regional communities whose identity and wellbeing are tied to healthy rivers.

We must continue to improve the planning and delivery of environmental water including cross-jurisdictional coordination and address constraints to delivery of environmental flows to the places and at the times it is needed. 

Critically, water alone is not enough. Without complementary action including riparian restoration, barrier removal, fish screens, mitigating cold-water pollution, managed invasive species and sustainable land management and restoration that improves water quality, the full value of recovered water will never be realised. 

In addition, the current regulatory model has failed to empower local leaders and First Nations people in the delivery of the Basin Plan and as a result missed the opportunity to learn from the immense body of knowledge they hold. 

Local efforts in integrated waterway and catchment management have shown what is possible, but they remain fragmented and under-resourced. They need to be massively scaled, coordinated, and properly funded to secure the future of the Murray–Darling Basin landscapes. This is particularly so in the face of climate change.

If we do not act at scale, the environmental gains of the past three decades will fall short of expectations, and the chance to secure healthy rivers for future generations could be lost.

We, the diverse stakeholders of the Murray–Darling Basin, seek a fundamental shift in ambition and approach which adopts the following principles. 

Understanding Success

This new approach must be guided by a Basin-wide purpose that allows efforts to align, progress to be measured, and accountability to be shared.

Recognising that success will be considered differently across basin stakeholders, success at the basin level can be demonstrated through:

• Ecological wellbeing – measurable, sustained improvements in river, riparian and landscape health and water quality, including population increases in native fish and waterbirds through both wet and dry cycles.
• Improved human and cultural wellbeing – healthy waterways contributing to regional wellbeing of First Nations people and Basin communities.
• Contributions to regional economic prosperity – waterway restoration supporting jobs, attracting skilled labour, innovation, food and fibre production, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-aligned investment in regional Australia including economic opportunity for First Nations people.

A Comprehensive Approach

Recovering environmental water on its own is insufficient. Achieving healthy waterways will require other waterway and catchment management measures including riparian restoration, removal of barriers to fish passage, fish screens on pumps, sustainable land management to improve water quality, reconnected floodplains, mitigated cold water pollution, managed invasive species, and reduced flow constraints. These should be included in a comprehensive Basin Plan.

Empowering Local Communities

Whilst a Basin-scale plan should set the broad objectives and coordination frameworks, regional waterway and catchment management programs should be designed from the ground up. Enduring outcomes require trust, shared design and local legitimacy.

First Nations Leadership

There is an enormous opportunity for First Nations cultural healing and economic outcomes alongside environmental recovery. However, to realise this, Basin management will need to promote First Nations authority, knowledge and leadership in the design, governance and delivery of waterway and catchment action.

Prioritisation and Alignment of Effort

Scattered and uncoordinated projects will not achieve Basin-scale recovery. Land and water management should be aligned and targeted to the places and actions that will make the greatest difference. Early success in priority rivers and catchments will build confidence to scale efforts elsewhere.

Roles and Accountability

Clear, aligned institutional roles are critical to success including Basin-wide coordination and regional organisation which is trusted and accountable at the local scale.

Growing Investment

Long-term, predictable investment is essential to build and retain the people, partnerships and capability required for large-scale waterway and catchment management. The wide variety of existing publicly-funded programs in the Basin can be realigned toward Basin priorities. Private investment should be leveraged through support for new and existing environmental markets.

Growing Innovation

We cannot meet the scale of the challenge with today’s tools alone. Land and water managers should work together with First Nations people, researchers, technology companies, investors and innovators to develop and test creative solutions. Our plans need to be adaptive to new knowledge and solutions. 

Conclusion

The future of the Basin’s rivers will be decided not by policy alone, but by what we choose to build together.

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Contributing leaders who worked together to prepare this Declaration 

Sam Capon, Griffith University 

Justin Brookes, Adelaide University 

Carolyn Hall, Mulloon Institute CE 

Seth Westra, Adelaide University and One Basin CRC 

Neville Crossman, Flinders University and One Basin CRC 

Myles Coker, One Basin CRC 

Troy Meston, Charles Sturt University and One Basin CRC 

Mike Stewardson, One Basin CRC 

Malcom Holm, National Farmers’ Federation 

Michael Pisasale, NSW Local Land Service 

Gillian Meppem, SQL Landscapes 

Christine Freak, National Irrigators Council 

David Hamilton, Griffith University 

Joy Becker, The University of Sydney

Cameron Lay, NSW DPIRD 

Geoff Reid, One Basin CRC 

Birri O’Dea, One Basin CRC 

Hannah Feldman, Australian National University

Nicola Thomas, Charles Sturt University

Renata Rix, Murraylands & Riverland Landscape Board