Remembering South Australia's Pain and Battles Behind the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The article is written by Malcolm Sutton.

It is from 891 ABC Adelaide.

The topic is water resources.

An image of Lake Albert during the Millennium Drought is shown.

The lake bed was dry and had acid sulphate soils.

In 2009, the author was a journalist at The Murray Valley Standard.

Many politicians visited Lake Albert during the drought.

Australia's environmental reform is being revised.

Local farmers and politicians showed visitors the bad conditions.

South Australia relies on the Murray River for water.

The river bed at Goolwa was exposed in 2009.

People can forget about the past.

The Millennium Drought ended 16 years ago.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan was created to prevent another drought disaster.

The system was collapsing.

South Australia's reliance on the Murray River was critical.

Farmers were in trouble and animals were being culled.

Some kids had never seen a puddle until the drought broke.

River flows had fallen to 960 gigalitres per year.

The riverbanks had collapsed and irrigators had low water allocations.

The Murray Mouth closed in 2002 and was dredged for eight years.

Lakes Alexandrina and Albert were almost dry.

A river bank at Murray Bridge collapsed in 2009.

Soils around the lakes became acidic and poisonous.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority said the soil and water were acidic.

A dairy region near Lake Albert was affected by salinity.

There was hope for a better water management system.

The federal Water Act 2007 led to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The plan aimed to reduce water extracted for human use.

There were different opinions on how to reclaim water for the environment.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority had to balance environmental and social needs.

The SA water security minister said the plan was important.

A bitter battle was fought over the plan.

South Australia fought hard to keep its lifeline flowing.

The River Murray is part of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The drought broke in 2010, but arguments continued.

Desalination plants were built in response to the drought.

The focus was on building a resilient system for the future.

Former federal water minister Tony Burke heard farmers' concerns.

The states would return 2,750 gigalitres of water to the system.

An additional 450 gigalitres would be recovered for environmental outcomes.

The plan aimed to reduce salinity, keep the river connected, and restore wetlands.

A review of the plan is underway.

There have been droughts since the plan was established, but none as severe as 2001-2010.

The plan has not been tested under a comparable drought.

Bunds were constructed to prevent acidification of river beds.

The plan is under review and submissions are being made.

Improvements are needed, and only 221 gigalitres of the extra water have been recovered.

There are criticisms about the plan's complexity and impact on regional communities.

The reviewed plan should reflect the impact of climate change.

Lock One in Blanchetown was constructed to store water and regulate flows.

The plan should focus on reconnecting flood plains and wetlands.

Climate change is accelerating existing pressures on the system.

The review will show if the work will be finished or quietly walked away from.

Submissions for the 2026 Basin Plan Review close on May 1.