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Inquiry finds Basin environmental program failed to deliver

Last updated: 22 April 2026

A major independent inquiry has found that the Northern Basin Toolkit — a $160 million package of infrastructure projects and policy reforms agreed to in exchange for reducing the northern Basin's water recovery target under the Basin Plan — has severely underdelivered on its environmental commitments, with key infrastructure projects falling drastically short of their original targets over the program’s seven years.

The inquiry was conducted by the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC), the Hon. Troy Grant, under the Water Act 2007, drawing on over 12,000 documents, 16 submissions, field visits across the northern Basin, and interviews with senior officials from five government agencies.

The Toolkit arose from the MDBA's 2016 Northern Basin Review, which reduced the northern Basin's water recovery target from 390 to 320 gigalitres per year. The 70 gigalitres that remained in consumptive use was agreed on the basis of commitments by the Australian, New South Wales and Queensland governments to deliver environmental outcomes through complementary measures — commitments this inquiry found were not met.

"Even ardent defenders of the implementation of this program would have conceded that delivery has been slow, fragmented, and in some cases lacking transparency," said Mr Grant.

Policy measures in the Toolkit largely succeeded. Infrastructure projects — which received all the dedicated funding — largely did not. The NSW Reconnecting the Northern Basin project has so far delivered just 64 kilometres of fish passage against an original target of 2,135 kilometres. Despite over $37 million in committed funding, the Gwydir Constraints project has not secured a single land purchase or flow easement. The Bifurcation Weirs project in Queensland never proceeded past the feasibility stage.

The Australian Government funds Basin programs but depends on states to deliver them — and that only works when incentives are aligned and consequences are shared. The Toolkit had neither. The 70 gigalitre reduction was secured through commitments alone, not proof of delivery. Funding agreements carried no penalties for non-delivery. When projects fell short, the environment bore the cost.

"Allowing delivery to be quietly scaled back undermines confidence in the Basin Plan," Mr Grant said.

The inquiry makes 7 recommendations to maximise delivery of remaining commitments before the December 2026 deadline and identifies 11 lessons for future Basin programs. It calls for accountability mechanisms that link funding to outcomes rather than planning milestones and ensuring any reductions in water recovery targets are matched by actual project delivery. These lessons are directly relevant to the current review of the Basin Plan.

"Complementary measures have a role to play in delivering positive environmental outcomes in the Murray–Darling Basin," said Mr Grant. "However, they require excellence in design and implementation, which was too often missing in the Northern Basin Toolkit."

The full report is available at inquiry.igwc.gov.au.

Media contact: Joshua Watson – joshua.watson@igwc.gov.au - 0479 194 279

Inquiry launched into $180 million program in the northern Basin

Last updated: 30 Oct 2024

The Inspector-General of Water Compliance (Inspector-General), the Hon. Troy Grant, has announced the launch of an inquiry, the first to be undertaken by the Inspector-General, into the Northern Basin Toolkit (the Toolkit), a significant government program aimed at improving the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The Toolkit, a package of policy and infrastructure measures, resulted from a review of the northern Basin undertaken by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) from 2012 to 2016. Following this review, the MDBA recommended to Government that the water recovery target for the northern Basin could be reduced by 70 gigalitres (GL), provided the Australian, New South Wales, and Queensland governments agree to implement a number of toolkit measures designed to improve water management.

The Australian Government allocated up to $180 million for the implementation of the Toolkit measures.

While the adjustment to the recovery target was passed into law in 2018, there has been little substantive progress in the last six years on implementing several of the Toolkit measures, particularly those involving critical infrastructure works.

“Everyone will remember the 2019 fish death events in the lower Darling. One of the recommendations from an independent review of these events was that the respective governments should set an aggressive timeline for the delivery of the Toolkit measures. That recommendation was put to the Government in early 2019,” said Mr Grant.

The original deadline for the completion of Toolkit implementation was June 2024. In August 2023, this deadline was extended to 31 December 2026.

“It appears there are significant issues delaying or preventing the implementation of some Toolkit measures, in part driven by the lack of accountability for implementing this program,” said Mr Grant.

“The integrity of the Basin’s water resources management is paramount. This inquiry will seek to support parties to uphold their commitments and provide the community with accountability.

“Through this inquiry, I will provide a transparent and thorough examination of the current status of the implementation of the Toolkit. We must address the delays and lack of accountability that may jeopardise the future of the Basin. This inquiry is a call to action for all involved to fulfill their commitments.

“Without pre-empting what this inquiry might find, there are likely to be lessons learned that can be applied by all governments in the Basin.”

The Inspector-General is seeking input from stakeholders, particularly those with direct involvement in the Toolkit. This is an opportunity for interested parties to have their say.

Submissions are now open until 29 November 2024 and can be made via the Inspector-General’s dedicated inquiry website: inquiry.igwc.gov.au

The IGWC anticipates having its report ready for the Australian Government in mid-2025.