Blueprint to Repair Australia’s Landscapes

Australians do not have to choose between a healthy environment and a productive economy. Repairing Australia’s landscapes is essential, urgent, achievable, affordable, and in the national interest.

Submission on DCCEEW Discussion Paper for a renewed National Water Initiative

The Wentworth Group has made this submission to DCCEEW's consultation process: "Seeking views on a future national water agreement".

Submission to Senate Inquiry into the Water Amendment Bill 2023

The Wentworth Group has made this submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023.

Are Murray-Darling Basin rivers getting the water they need to stay healthy?

Assessment of whether river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin have achieved minimum flow requirements needed to ensure the river health.

Response to Minister Plibersek’s Announcement of a New Agreement to Implement the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Response to Minister Plibersek's Announcement of a New Agreement to Implement the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The SDLAM Reconciliation Method – Key points

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists wish to layout these key points we believe are needed for the Reconciliation of the Sustainable Diversion Limits Adjustment Mechanism Projects.

Upholding the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists wish to layout these key points we believe are needed to uphold the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Submission to DCCEEW on Basin Plan Water Recovery

The Wentworth Group has made this submission to the Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water on Opportunities for Water Recovery under the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Submission to the Namoi Valley Floodplain Harvesting Consultation

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defenders Office's Submission to the Namoi Valley Floodplain Harvesting Consultation

Floodplain harvesting flow targets in NSW

This brief sets out how the NSW Government’s floodplain harvesting flow targets prioritise irrigation extraction over needs for communities and river health.

Critique of DPIE-W’s review of WG river flows assessment

This paper provides a critique of DPIE-W’s review of the Wentworth Group report "Assessment of river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin: Observed versus expected flows under the Basin Plan 2012-2019."

Letter to Ms Faehrmann, MLC, regarding the misrepresentation of the Wentworth Group at the NSW Upper House Inquiry in Floodplain Harvesting

On 24 September, the work of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists was misrepresented at the NSW Upper House Inquiry in Floodplain Harvesting. As this occurred when we were not able to address these inaccurate comments, we now seek to clarify the record.

Statement by Robert Purves in response to articles published in the Weekly Times

Statement by Robert Purves in response to articles published in the Weekly Times

Submission to the Inquiry into the NSW Government’s Management of Floodplain Harvesting

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defenders Office made the following submission to the Inquiry into the NSW Government's Management of Floodplain Harvesting

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defenders Office response to NSW Government claims related to access to information about the floodplain harvesting licencing framework

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defenders Office response to NSW Government claims related to access to information about the floodplain harvesting licencing framework

Submissions to the Productivity Commission’s National Water Reform Review

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made these submissions to the Productivity Commission's National Water Reform Review

Submissions to the NSW Government on the draft rules for floodplain harvesting licences

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defenders Office made these submissions to the NSW Government on the draft rules for floodplain harvesting licences to be included in water sharing plans

Assessment of river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin: Observed versus expected flows under the Basin Plan 2012-2019

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists report on river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin 2012-2019.

Outstanding issues within NSW’s Final Draft Water Resource Plans and consequences for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists reviewed the NSW draft WRPs/WSPs against the safeguards we consider necessary to ensure water resource plans developed for the Basin Plan will achieve the Plan’s objectives and meet statutory requirements.

The role of coastal processes in the management of the mouth of the River Murray, Australia: Present and future challenges

Members of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists published a research paper in the special issue of River Research and Applications.

Submission to the Draft Native Fish Strategy

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made this submission to the Draft Native Fish Strategy in April 2020.

Submission to the Independent Assessment of Social and Economic Conditions in the Basin

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made this submission to the Independent Assessment of Social and Economic Conditions in the Basin in April 2020.

Submission to the Independent Review of the Water for the Environment Special Account (WESA)

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made this submission to the Independent Review of the Water for the Environment Special Account (WESA) in December 2019.

Submission on the draft Basin-wide environmental watering strategy

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made this submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on the draft Basin-wide environmental watering strategy in August 2019.

Submission to the NSW Water Reform Action Plan on proposed amendments to the metering regulation

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists made this submission to the NSW Water Reform Action Plan on proposed amendments to the metering regulation in August 2019.

Submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission of Inquiry Bill 2019

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission of Inquiry Bill seeks to establish an inquiry with the powers of a Royal Commission to investigate the management of the Basin water resources and the implementation and enforcement of the Basin Plan.

Guide to reviewing Water Resource Plans

The Wentworth Group have developed this guide to reviewing Water Resource Plans (WRPs) to assist communities to understand WRP legal inclusions, the WRP accreditation process and the key scientific issues which should be included in robust WRPs.

Review of Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan

In March 2019 Wentworth Group reviewed the Victoria's North and Murray Water Resource Plan (WRP).

Water Flows in the Murray-Darling Basin: Observed versus expected

The Wentworth Group conducted a study to evaluate whether environmental water recovery has led to observable increases in river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Murray-Darling Basin Snapshot

In January 2019 the Wentworth Group produced this snapshot report on the Murray Darling Basin.

Response to the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission Report

In January 2019 the Wentworth Group made this response to the release of the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission Report.

Proposed Criteria for Assessing Water Resource Plans under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

We propose nine criteria which we believe all Water Resource Plans and related planning instruments should meet in order to satisfy Basin Plan requirements.

Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Five-Year Assessment

In October 2018 the Wentworth Group made this submission to the Productivity Commission after releasing its five-year assessment draft report on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Submission on the NSW Updated Factors for Water Recovery

In July 2018 the Wentworth Group made this submission to the New South Wales Government in relation to the consultation paper on the ‘NSW Updated factors for water recovery’ and the Water reform technical report titled ‘Derivation of LTDLE factors in NSW’ published in May.

Submission to the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission

The Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission was established in January 2018 to investigate the operations and effectiveness of the Murray-Darling Basin system. The Wentworth Group put forward a submission in May 2018 to address the terms of reference of the Royal Commission.

Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Requirements for SDL adjustment projects

This advice explains what is needed to ensure that state governments modify their projects in line with the Basin Plan, to restore credibility to the SDL adjustment process.

Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Five-year assessment of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan

In April 2018 the Wentworth Group made this submission to the Productivity Commission for the five-year assessment of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Submission to the NSW Water Reform Action Plan

In April 2018 Wentworth Group made this submission to the NSW Water Reform Action Plan.

Advice on Basin Plan Amendment Instrument 2017 (no 1)

Advice on the 2017 Murray-Darling Basin Plan amendment to increase sustainable diversion limits for surface water by 70GL in the northern Basin and for groundwater by 160GL in three zones across the Basin.

Review of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin

This report is the first independent and comprehensive review of water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin since the Basin Plan was agreed by the Australian Parliament in 2012.

Submission to Murray-Darling Basin Authority on Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Draft Determination

In November 2017 the Wentworth Group made this submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on the adjustment to the sustainable diversion limit (draft determination).

Submission to the Productivity Commission on the National Water Reform Issues Paper

In April 2017 the Wentworth Group made this submission to the Productivity Commission on the National Water Reform Issues Paper.

Submission on proposed changes to sustainable diversion limits in the Murray-Darling Basin

In February 2017 the Wentworth Group made a submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in light of the proposed changes and the environmental, social and economic future of the Basin as a whole.

Statement on the Future of Australia’s Water Reform

The Wentworth Group calls on all Australian governments to take the long view and prepare the country for this new climate regime by recommitting to water reform through a new, broader national agreement.

Global insights into water resources, climate change and governance

The threats of climate change and the trade-offs between extractions and flows are examined for the Colorado, Murray, Orange and Yellow Rivers.

Wentworth Group Evaluation of 3200GL Modeling with Relaxed Constraints

Plan for a reduction in extractions combined with relaxation of eight constraints, falls well short of satisfying the requirements of the Water Act 2007.

Wentworth Group Evaluation of the Proposed Basin Plan

Response to plan changes released on August 6, 2012. Once again the taxpayer pays, individuals benefit and the river loses.

Water and the Future of Water in Australia

Dr John Williams was invited to give the keynote address at the Australian Water Association NSW Heads of Water Gala Dinner.

Analysis of Groundwater in the 2011 Draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Once water is allocated to consumption, it is very difficult to return it to the environment.

Statement on the 2011 Draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Statement on the 2011 Draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan in response to the release of the Draft Plan on November 28, 2011.

Sustainable Diversions in the Murray-Darling Basin

This report seeks to identify the scale of reductions in diversions required within each of the 18 catchments of the Basin.

The Urgent Provision of Water to the Coorong and Lower Lakes

In September 2008 this Submission was tabled at the Senate inquiry into water management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes.

Blueprint for a National Water Plan

A plan to become water literate and the Council of Australian Governments to commit to urgently needed national reforms.

Blueprint for a Living Continent

If we get it right, Australia will continue to produce food and fibre for us and for the rest of the world. If we fail to act, history will judge us harshly.