On 14 August 2025, we presented a webinar to provide the latest updates on our progress in implementing the Basin Plan.
Hosted by: Matthew Dadswell, Division Head, Water Policy Division
Presenters:
- Brandon Etto, Director, First Nations Water Branch
- Libby Bright, Acting Branch Head, MDB Strategy and Policy
- Christine MacRae, Acting Branch Head, Water Recovery
- Phil Coates, Branch Head, MDB Economics, Evidence and Engagement
- Emma Solomon, Branch Head, Water Markets and Regulatory Policy.
Transcript
Matthew DADSWELL: Welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us today for this webinar on progress with the Restoring our Rivers Basin Plan implementation. My name is Matthew Dadswell. I'm Head of Water Policy in the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. In opening this webinar, I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture and I would like to pay my respects to Elders past through present. I'd also like to acknowledge and welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining us today.
This is our 9th webinar on Basin Plan implementation and delighted that you've been able to join us for it. These webinars are about information sharing, so most of the information we provide is available on our department's website. But we recognise that for some people they find these webinars the best way to receive information. So just to note that we only cover matters that can respond to questions that relate to aspects that are delivered by the department. We won't be able to comment on political or hypothetical questions. To this end, we also won't be able to comment on in detail on the review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan or the recently released Evaluation and Sustainable Rivers Audit, as these are matters being led by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and are best addressed by them.
Today's webinar is being recorded and along with the transcript, it will be available on the department's website after this has finished. Please use the question-and-answer function to ask questions at any time. We will aim to address those questions at the end, where we'll be hoping to leave 15 minutes for those.
