Murray-Darling Basin Authority

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is the principal government agency in charge of managing the Murray-Darling Basin in an integrated and sustainable manner. The Authority (MDBA) is the statutory agency that manages, in conjunction with the Basin states, the Murray–Darling Basin’s water resources in the national interest. The Authority reports to the Australian Government Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

The Authority was established under the Water Act (2007) which was introduced under the Howard Government as part of the National Water Plan for Water Security. The Water Act (2007) was a response to the drought and the potential effects of climate change in Australia. The law aimed to fulfill Australia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

The Chief Executive of the Authority is Dr Rhondda Dickson who replaced Rob Freeman (resigned 1 June 2011). The Chairman of the Authority is Craig Knowles. Knowles was appointed in January 2011 after the December 2010 resignation of Mike Taylor. Taylor resigned as he believed that the overriding principle should be the environmental outcome, which was in conflict with the Gillard Government and following a period of sustained criticism of the Authority and the implementation of the proposed draft basin plan.

Whilst the Authority is a Commonwealth Government agency, an inter-governmental Murray‑Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MDBMC) acts in an advisory role in the preparation of the Basin Plan by the Authority. This Council comprises the Commonwealth Minister with responsibility for Water, who also chairs the council, and one minister from each of the basin states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia) and the Australian Capital Territory. The MDBMC introduced the Murray-Darling Cap in response to the 1995 report titled "An Audit of Water Use in the Murray-Darling Basin".