Taking Stock: Seventeen Years after the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement

There has now been almost two decades of natural resource management by signatory states under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement Despite significant public expense, the success of initiatives to improve the Basin’s environmental remains ambiguous. This confusion is partly due to poorly distinguished investment outcomes, a blurring of the transparency of public spending and a lack of accountability of decision makers. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that significant environmental improvements could have been achieved at a much lower cost if decisive action been taken early. The research report outlines the myriad of Murray-Darling Basin related policies and its funding. It also notes the achievements and impediments to program success.