The Albanese Labor Government has taken another significant step towards delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, committing more than $274 million to extend a program helping to increase the benefits of environmental flows in New South Wales.
This is the largest investment to date as part of the broader effort across the Southern-Connected Basin to remove physical and operational barriers or constraints that prevent environmental flows reaching wetlands and floodplains. The Reconnecting River Country Program will upgrade infrastructure and improve environmental outcomes of the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys.
After years of preparation and work with the community, this additional funding will enable the program to commence on-ground works. This includes, for example:
- Replacing 4 old regulators to improve environmental watering at Werai Forest - a site of recognised international importance and highly significant to First Nations people.
- Removing and replacing critical low-lying public infrastructure, including construction of the new Mundarlo Bridge near Gundagai and raising of Mundowy Lane near Collingullie.
- Working further with stakeholders to progress technical studies in the Murray River and develop a final business case for addressing constraints in the Murrumbidgee.
Constraints limit flows into the low-level wetlands of the mid-Murrumbidgee between Wagga Wagga and Hay, as well as in the Yanco/Billabong Creek system and Lowbidgee.
Increased flows that connect with floodplains will help to repair and restore crucial native habitat for threatened species including the Australasian bittern, the Murray cod and the superb parrot.
The Reconnecting River Country Program forms part of the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism, which aims to improve environmental outcomes for rivers, wetlands and wildlife with less water to be recovered under the Basin Plan.
