Billions of dollars have been spent on infrastructure schemes that have failed to deliver any measurable improvement in water flows or the state of the environment, writes John Quiggin.

This research asserts that poor irrigation techniques have increased salinity in much of the world’s farmland. Soil salinisation threatens major economic losses for countries with large agricultural sectors, both by lowering the available crop yield and the costly methods used in trying to solve the issue.

The ACCC’s ninth annual Water Monitoring Report has found hotter and drier-than-average weather has led to reduced water availability and higher prices for tradeable water products in 2017–18, placing pressure on water users in the Murray–Darling Basin.

Decisions by the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to flood the Barmah-Millewa forest and drain Menindee Lakes have reduced water for NSW Murray general security holders, who have zero allocation for 2018-19. This research estimates an allocation of between 16% and 61% could have been possible had MDBA complied with its official objectives.

The mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin has become a national issue in 2019. While the Basin’s problems are widely discussed, solutions are not. This paper outlines some practical steps to turn around the fortunes of the Basin and its people.