Water Infrastructure NSW’s River Murray Joint Venture Program is responsible for undertaking program and project management activities to support the NSW Government’s responsibilities under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement (MDB Agreement) and the NSW Water Management Act 2000.
The Basin states and the Australian Government are all signatories to the MDB Agreement and contribute funding to the joint management of the Murray River based on each state’s level of water use.
The Agreement’s purpose is to promote and coordinate effective planning and management for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of water and other natural resources across the Murray-Darling Basin.
The program performs three key functions:
- governance
- river management operations
- non-river management operations.
Under the program, there is an annual program of works valued at approximately $10 million and the program is responsible for managing approximately $66 million in assets and infrastructure.
Water Infrastructure NSW is responsible for the implementation and delivery of works and activities for various state funded programs including the Tumut River Works program; the Billabong Salt Interception Scheme, and the Basin Salinity Management (BSM2030) program.
River Works Program
The River Works Program focuses on bank stability and maintenance of channel capacity in the Upper Murray, Hume to Torrumbarry and Tumut River reaches. Works delivered under this program include:
- bank condition monitoring of over 1,000 km of riverbank
- revegetation
- log and rock revetment
- remediation of breakaway flows
- weed control
- stock control fencing
- the installation of off-stream watering points
- the protection of First Nations cultural heritage sites.
Lake Victoria Program
The Lake Victoria Program manages approximately 10,000 Ha of land including the Nulla, Noola, Lake Victoria North and Kulcurna stations.
Management of this land involves:
- pest plant and animal control
- infrastructure maintenance
- land degradation repairs
- cultural heritage protection works
- the coordination of community, stakeholder and Traditional Owner groups.
Basin Salinity Management
Salinity continues to be a risk to the Murray-Darling Basin. It brings significant economic, environmental and social challenges for land and water management. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MBDA) and Basin states have met these challenges by working together on land and water management actions. This successful collaboration has led to in-river salinity targets and improved practices focussing on reducing or offsetting salinity.
Ongoing and proactive salinity management and accountability is necessary to ensure river salinity stays below agreed levels. The MDBA and Basin states continue to work together on salinity management.
The Basin Salinity Management Strategy 2030 is a program of coordinated salinity management under which the NSW Government has certain roles and responsibilities concerning salinity management.
The Living Murray
The Living Murray Program supports the South Australian Government’s Department of Environment and Water, and the Mallee Catchment Management Authority, to plan and undertake activities at the Chowilla Floodplains and Lindsay-Wallpolla-Mulcra Islands Icon Site.
The program also supports the development and delivery of Weir Pool 7, 8, 9 and 15 Seasonal Watering Proposals, Operational Watering Plans and Weir Pool Monitoring Plans.
Salt Interception Schemes
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Water group works closely with joint venture partners from SA Water (South Australia), Goulburn Murray Water (Victoria) and the MDBA to operate and maintain three SIS schemes: Mallee Cliffs, Buronga and Upper Darling on behalf of Joint Venture partner governments. In addition, one state-owned scheme, located adjacent to Billabong Creek (north of Albury), is also operated and managed under these programs of works.
More information
For more information about the activities of the River Murray Joint Venture Program:
- visit mdba.gov.au/about-us/partnerships-engagement/joint-programs
- call 1300 081 047
- email winsw.engagement@dpie.nsw.gov.au