Council has its say on Basin Plan Review

Published on 06 May 2026

Stopping any further water buybacks, ensuring community is fully considered in any decisions and a targeted and adequately funded package to support impacted communities are among the main driving forces behind a Council submission on the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review.

Council’s submission is in addition to one from the Murray River Group of Councils, of which it had input as a member – Loddon Shire is within the Loddon River catchment, part of the southern Murray Darling Basin.

In its submission Council outlines seven recommendations for the revised Basin Plan:

• Cease further water recovery, including buybacks, until the effectiveness of existing environmental water holdings is demonstrably improved;
• Transition to an outcomes-based framework for measuring success, supported by clear, evidence-based indicators;
• Strengthen socio-economic assessment requirements to ensure community impacts are fully considered in policy decisions;
• Invest in infrastructure and constraint measures to enable more effective delivery of environmental water;
• Provide a targeted and adequately funded adjustment package to support impacted communities and address irrigation network fragmentation;
• Improve transparency and accountability in environmental water management and Basin Plan implementation; and
• Clarify and strengthen the role of First Nations participation, ensuring practical implementation and measurable outcomes.

Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub said the submission was an important one on an important issue for the Shire.

“This continues our longstanding advocacy in relation to the Plan – including opposing further water buybacks – and other issues affecting agriculture, by far Loddon Shire’s major economic driver,” Cr Straub said.

“The 2026 Basin Plan Review represents a critical opportunity for Council to contribute local knowledge and advocate for outcomes that reflect the needs of rural communities.”