The Murray–Darling Basin supports around 98 species of waterbirds, including many migratory shorebirds. It is one of the most important breeding areas for waterbirds in Australia. However, since 1983, waterbird abundance in the basin has declined by 80%. 

Upon reading the draft Basin Plan released today, Birds Australia’s conservation manager, Samantha Vine, fears this precipitous decline will continue.

“Birds Australia is extremely concerned that the proposed plan will do little to address critical water shortages, and implement the reforms necessary to ensure the survival of millions of birds that rely on the river system”, said Samantha.

“Firstly, by the time the reductions outlined by the Plan are enforced in 2019, it is likely to be too late for many of the 35 bird species in the basin already threatened with extinction”.

Birds Australia's own research suggests that the critically endangered Orange Bellied Parrot’s habitat has been lost in coastal wetlands in South Australia because of changed hydrological regimes. A direct result of over extraction, hypersaline conditions have killed off large areas of saltmarsh that the Orange-bellied Parrot relies on as a food source. 

Similarly, in the middle reaches of the Murray, the persistence of two nationally threatened parrots, the Superb and Regent Parrot, is inextricably tied to the health of the River Red Gum forests.  Their hollow-bearing nest-trees are vulnerable to water shortages, with many mature trees dying from prolonged drys. These vulnerable parrots have had precious few opportunities to breed for the past decade-and-a-half. 

“Secondly, the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) have come up with a highly compromised figure based on factors other than the best available science”, said Samantha.

Several independent scientific studies conclude that extractions needs to be reduced by 4000– 7,600GL per year to return the water needed to restore the ecological health of the system. However pressure from interest groups has seen this figure slashed to 2750GL. Because this includes water already purchased for the environment, the Basin Plan effectively calls for only 1,468 GL/y to be secured:  A lot less than what science says is required.

The first step in delivering a healthy river system is to understand how much water is needed to protect environmental assets, such as our precious birds and their wetland habitats, and this has simply not been done” said Samantha. The MDBA’s modeling also relies on historic climatic conditions. “It is nonsensical to prepare a long-term plan without considering the likely impacts of climate change on water availability” she said.

Birds Australia is calling on the Water Minister, Tony Burke, to send the plan back to the MDBA. “The Minister should ask the Authority to come back with a plan that actually reflects the ecological needs of the river system”, said Samantha.

Help us to help the birds, the river and the community. People have 20 weeks to make their voices heard: see http://lifeblood.org.au/ for more details.