The Australian Murray-Darling Basin Plan: challenges in its implementation (part 1)

The latest in a set of major water reforms in the Australian Murray-Darling Basin occurred in November 2012 with completion of a new integrated water resources plan for the region (the Basin Plan). This occurred over a four-year period (2009-12) and was not without controversy. However, perhaps the most challenging part of this reform is occurring now with the implementation of the Basin Plan between 2012 and 2024. This paper discusses the key tasks to be undertaken by June 2016 and the main challenges in their implementation. A companion paper discusses the challenges in implementing the other tasks that need to be settled by 2024.