To help us decide how we use Commonwealth water for the environment, we undertake careful planning. We seek to be efficient, effective and transparent when it comes to this planning.
Our planning is driven by water supply and the demands of the rivers, wetlands and floodplains of the Basin. It's informed by:
- the Basin Plan
- the Basin-wide Environmental Watering Strategy
- long-term watering plans prepared by Basin state governments
- local knowledge
- the latest science and lessons learnt from previous actions.
We also work in partnership with a range of stakeholders to plan how we use water. This includes state government agencies, First Nations peoples, irrigation corporations, environmental organisations, scientists and communities.
How we plan water use
Careful planning is critical to get the most out of every drop of water for the environment.
Latest water management plan
Our annual planning process and what we aim to achieve with water for the environment in 2025-26.
Managing water when it's dry
We have to carefully plan how we use water during dry conditions.
Managing water when it's wet
Water for the environment still has an important role to play in wetter conditions.
Return flows
We carefully plan and time flows so we can use and reuse water across the Murray–Darling Basin.