Murray-Darling Basin

The majority voted in favour of part (d) of a motion introduced by NSW Senator Deborah O'Neill (Labor), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own, but they can be politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.

The Coalition was split in this vote, with the Liberal Party voting 'Yes' and the Nationals and Liberal National Party voting 'No'.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a bipartisan framework for the sustainable use of water in the Murray-Darling basin system;

(b) supports a river system that has healthy ecosystems, agricultural production, sustainable local communities and encourages First Nations cultural practices;

(c) further notes the commitment of the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia (Mr Pitt) to recover all of the 450 gigalitres from New South Wales and Victoria in his press release of 4 September 2020; and

(d) supports the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, in full and on time.