Murray Darling
The Murray Darling river system is in crisis. Southern and eastern Australia are running out of water. Inflows to the Murray Darling are at their lowest in 116 years. Water storages and irrigation allocations are hitting their lowest ever levels. Cities and towns dependent on the system are experiencing a water security crisis, instituting severe restrictions and yet are still unable to guarantee ongoing supplies.
Irrigators’ water allocations have been slashed or suspended altogether – meaning they have been unable to plant crops or have had to heavily prune or even bulldoze permanent plantings. The ecosystems of the basin are dead and dying. We have already lost 90% of the wetlands in the Murray Darling Basin and bird numbers are in dramatic decline, with average numbers falling by 80% in 25 years. Wetlands and floodplains have gone extended periods without sufficient water and have been severely degraded, many potentially beyond the point of recovery.
