Continuing assessment and reporting functions
Murray-Darling Basin audit function
Under the Water Act 2007, the Commission acquired an ongoing Murray-Darling Basin audit function, making it responsible for auditing the effectiveness of the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and associated water resource plans.
Our independent audits in the basin will be an important element of the new basin governance arrangements. The aim of the audits will be to improve public confidence, strengthen accountability and transparency and promote continuous improvement in water resource management at the basin and water management area scales.
Auditing will begin after the release of the first Basin Plan.
The Commission has been undertaking some preparatory activity for the audit program, including the development of a Proposed framework for auditing the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and water resources.
The audit framework will set out the Commission's approach to the audits, guide our auditors during auditing, and describe the purpose and role of our audit reports and advice. It is also a basis for collaboration and interaction with other auditing bodies active in the basin and with stakeholders.
Water Management Partnership Agreements assessment
On 3 July 2008 the Australian Government, together with the states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (the Basin States), signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on Murray-Darling Basin Reform. The IGA provides for the parties to enter into water partnership agreements to give effect to water reforms in the Murray-Darling Basin.
The COAG Reform Council delegated responsibility for assessing the performance of Basin States in relation to Partnership Agreement reform actions to the National Water Commission in December 2009. The Commission's assessments are provided as an input to the COAG Reform Council overall performance reporting task.
The Water Management Partnership Agreements provide for one or more Priority Projects that will substantially contribute to improved water use efficiency and enhance the sustainability of rural water use in the Murray-Darling Basin. The agreements formalise the direct link between the provision of Commonwealth funding for each Priority Project and the need for the Basin States to undertake water reforms in the Murray-Darling Basin.
As part of the Basin States' responsibilities under the agreements, each state has committed to a set of water reform actions. Schedule 1 of each agreement specifies these actions, together with associated milestones. The reform actions focus on improving management of Murray-Darling Basin water resources and have been drawn from reforms identified in the NWI and the IGA.
The Commission's first assessment, which concerned the reporting period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009, was released on 22 October 2010. For this reporting period, Basin States were required to meet specific reform obligations in the areas of water planning and management, and water markets and trading.
- COAG Reform Council's Water Management Partnerships: Report on Performance 2009
- Volume 2 - National Water Commission: Water Management Partnership Agreement reform actions (PDF 1.89MB)
- Call to raise the bar on Murray-Darling Basin water reform - National Water Commission media release - 22 October 2010
The Commission’s second assessment of progress towards water reform actions during the reporting period 1 January to 31 December 2010 was released on 3 November 2010. For this reporting period, Basin states were required to meet specific reform obligations in the areas of water planning and management, water markets and trading, and state-specific reform commitments.
- COAG Reform Council's Water Management Partnerships: Report on Performance 2010
- Volume 2 - National Water Commission: Water Management Partnership Agreement reform actions (PDF 1.3MB)
- Water reform arrangements must be strengthened - National Water Commission media release - 3 November 2011
Water Planning Report Card
In 2011, as one response to the Commission's Second Biennial Assessment, the COAG Water Reform Committee (WRC) recommended that the Commission report progress with the development and implementation of water plans in all water resource systems. This is intended to allow objective discussion of existing water plans across jurisdictions.
In December 2011 the Commission released the National Water Planning Report Card 2011, and in January 2012 released the companion National Water Planning Report Card web resource.