Acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the Murray—Darling Basin

We acknowledge the First Nations Peoples of the Murray–Darling Basin as the Traditional Custodians of Country and the first knowledge holders, water managers and scientists.

For thousands of generations, First Nations Peoples have cared for the rivers, floodplains, wetlands and aquifers of the Basin through enduring systems of knowledge, law and cultural practice.

We pay our respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge emerging leaders who continue this important work. We recognise the continuing connection of First Nations Peoples to land, waters, skies and spirit, and honour their ongoing leadership in caring for Country.

Program Overview

The $100 million Murray–Darling Basin (Basin) Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program (program) is a landmark Australian Government commitment to increase water ownership by First Nations peoples and to support their long-term spiritual, Cultural, environmental, social and economic wellbeing. The program is being delivered by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the department).

Water purchasing is being conducted under interim governance arrangements. These arrangements allow water to be purchased while long-term enduring water holding arrangements are being co-designed.

Interim governance is led by an Advisory Group and Directorate made up of Basin First Nations representatives working alongside the department.

2026-27 Annual Watering Plan

The 2026-27 Annual Watering Plan is currently being developed and will be released in August 2026.

Summary of surface water purchased

As of 31 July 2026, the Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program has secured 21.27 GL of water entitlements valued at $81.75 million.

2026–27 Strategic Purchasing Framework

July 2026, 2026-27 Strategic Purchasing Framework released.

2024–25 Year in Review

The program released its first year in review

Program journey

The Murray–Darling Basin (Basin) Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program (program) was first announced in 2018, with an initial commitment of $40 million. The program aims to support Basin First Nations peoples to invest in water entitlements.

In 2023, the government increased the program's funding from $40 million to $100 million to purchase water entitlements. An additional $10.1 million was provided to support other costs and expenses, including interim governance arrangements, legal fees and commercial advisors.

Interim governance arrangements

To allow water purchasing to start while enduring water holding arrangements are co-designed with Basin First Nations peoples, interim governance arrangements were established.

These arrangements were established in June 2024. A second term of interim governance commenced January 2026 and continues to remain in effect.

It is made of up of:

Advisory Group
Directorate

All members identify as, and are accepted as, Traditional Owners of the Basin. These arrangements provide Culturally informed oversight and decision-making authority to support water purchasing in the short term.

This will only be in place until enduring water holding arrangements are finalised. The department is currently working in partnership with Basin First Nations peoples to co-design these enduring arrangements. All water purchased under the program will be transferred to the new model.

Water purchasing

Water purchased by the program is guided by a purchasing principle and set of objectives. All water purchasing decisions are made by the Interim Governance Directorate.
Decisions are guided by:

Connectivity across systems: targeting entitlements that enable trade, transfer and coordinated management across catchments and valleys.
Wealth generation and reinvestment: Building a portfolio that generates high returns which can be reinvested to support Basin-wide outcomes.
Shared benefits: Ensuring the benefits of water ownership, whether financial or non-financial, can be distributed across Nations so that no Nations are excluded, including where water cannot be directly acquired within their catchment.
Adaptability to market conditions: respond to changing availability, pricing and competition across water markets.

For more information, visit Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program water purchasing - DCCEEW

Water holding and planning

Water purchased by the program is being held by the Commonwealth under the interim governance arrangement.

To decide how the program uses the water, careful planning is undertaken with the Advisory Group and Directorate. It will be managed according to Basin First Nations peoples' values, interests and priorities.

To read more about how the program is managing and using the water, visit Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program water use - DCCEEW

The role of the program within national water reform

The program is a cornerstone initiative within broader First Nations water reform. The program aims to increases First Nations ownership and management of water entitlements in the Basin. It complements other initiatives designed to strengthen First Nations participation and leadership in water management.

From planning to delivery, explore the key milestones shaping the Murray–Darling BasinAboriginal Water Entitlements Program’sjourney.

June 2024
- Inaugural program Advisory Group and Directorate meetings in Canberra, ACT
- Strategic Purchasing Framework released. This marks the start of the programs purchasing phase.
November 2024
- Water purchasing Water-led intermediary led limited tender opened.
- Have your Say survey on Basin Enduring Water Holding Arrangements closed.
March 2025
- Water purchasing Market led limited tender opened
May 2025
- First purchase of 200ML general security water in the Macquarie – Wambuul catchment
- 27 May - Celebration of the first water purchase on Tubba Gah – Wiradjuri Country in Dubbo, NSW
June 2025
- Literature review released on First Nations water governance in the Basin to inform the co-design process.
July 2025
- Appointment of two new Interim Governance Advisory Group members, bringing the membership from seven to nine.
August 2025
- Started Face to face Nation-by-Nation engagement for the enduring water holding arrangements.
September 2025
- Addendum to strategic purchasing framework was released.
- Recruitment for the second term of interim governance opened.
December 2025
- Water intermediary led limited tender closed on 31 December 2025.
January 2026
- Term 2 of interim governance arrangement commenced:
  
  Two Associate Director roles created to join Directorate.
February 2026
- Northern Basin open tender released, targeting northern basin areas – (Barwon-Darling, Namoi, QLD/NSW Border Rivers)
- Enduring Water Holding arrangements draft Recommended Model was released.
May 2026
- Addendum to the Strategic Purchasing Framework release
July 2026
- 2026-27 Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program Strategic Purchasing Framework released

Click for more information on:

Interim Governance

We have established interim governance to help deliver the Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program.

Interim governance will be in place until the water purchased can be transferred to an enduring water holding model.

Find out more

Water Purchasing

The program opened water purchasing in 2024.

The program's Strategic Purchasing Framework explains how water purchases are made.

Find out more

Water use

Water held by the program is managed and used to support the aspirations of Basin First Nations Peoples.

Find out more

Water Portfolio Breakdown

Explore a map of where the program has bought water across the Basin.

Source image: Catchments | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Click to see catchments and volumes

Did you know?

First Nations people hold native title rights to around 40% of Australia’s land. But own less than 0.2% of waterways.

The Government’s $100 million commitment could purchase 25,000 megalitres of water. That’s roughly the same as 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Murray–Darling Basin First Nations expressed a preference for water investments that prioritise connectivity and wealth generation.

First Nations People have long called for stable and ongoing water holding arrangements. These arrangements are being co designed by Murray–Darling Basin (Basin) First Nations Peoples, with support from the Australian Government.

They are about making sure Basin First Nations can hold water and make decisions about it in a way that lasts for generations.

Cultural Flows Planning for Cultural Economies is a $20 million program. It aims to support First Nations People to plan for and develop the skills needed to access, manage and own water in the Basin.

Over 50 projects across the Murray–Darling Basin will receive funding through the program.

Program Document Library

The Document Library contains program reports, factsheets and other useful resources. Check back for updates. New resources will be added as they become available.

Factsheets

Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program overview

Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program Purchase Process

Reports

AWEP Year in review 2024–25

Frequently Asked Questions

The Murray–Darling Basin (Basin) Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program (program) is a $100 million Australian Government investment to increase First Nations water ownership across the Basin.

The water can support the cultural, social, spiritual, environmental and economic well-being of Basin First Nations communities.

We have established interim governance to help deliver AWEP

This allows purchasing to commence while long-term enduring governance arrangements are developed.

It consists of an Advisory Group and Directorate.  
- Advisory Group: develop policies, principles, and protocols to support decision-making by the Directorate.
- Directorate: make commercial and water purchasing decisions in the best interest of Basin First Nations.
Together, they embed First Nations leadership, knowledge, and decision-making authority in policy development and commercial decision-making.

Interim governance will only be in place until the water purchased is transferred to the Basin Enduring Water Holding Arrangement.

For more information, visit Interim governance of the Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program - DCCEEW

An external independent Indigenous recruitment agency was engaged to run the recruitment process.

This was to ensure a fair, honest, and transparent recruitment process.

Members were selected to achieve a mix of skills and expertise, made up of Elders, emerging leaders, a gender balance and representation from across the Basin.

An enduring First Nations led water holding model is being established to manage the water entitlements long-term.

We are currently working on co-designing this model with Basin First Nations peoples.

For more information, visit Murray–Darling Basin First Nations enduring water holding arrangements - DCCEEW

The Directorate evaluates all purchases using a multi-criteria assessment created by the Advisory Group. This assessment focuses on First Nations Cultural benefits, ensures good value for money, and includes expert advice and independent valuations.

The department currently holds the water under the interim arrangement

Once an Enduring Water Holding arrangement is in place, ownership will be transferred.

This is currently being co-designed with Basin First Nations.

The water stays in the consumptive pool.

This means it can be used for the Cultural, environmental, social, spiritual and economic well-being of Basin First Nations Peoples

The program is using different ways to purchase the water entitlements.

Sellers can currently offer their water through the Market Led Limited Tender.

For more information, visit Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program water purchasing - DCCEEW

Each year the water entitlements held by the program receive water allocations

To decide how the program uses the allocations, careful planning is undertaken with the Advisory Group and Directorate.

The program prepares an annual watering plan that sets out how the water allocations will be used.

For more information, visit Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program water purchasing - DCCEEW

The department is exploring how to do this under interim governance arrangements.

Consumptive water: Water used for human activities such as urban and town supply, agriculture, irrigation, industry, and domestic purposes.

Environmental water: Water allocated to sustain ecosystems, maintain riverine environment health, and support biodiversity.

Cultural water: Echuca Declaration (2007), “Cultural Flows” are water entitlements that are legally and beneficially owned by the Indigenous Nations of a sufficient and adequate quantity and quality to improve the spiritual, cultural, environmental, social and economic conditions of those Indigenous Nations.

The water recovery programs are government initiatives aimed at acquiring and returning water entitlements to the environment

These Commonwealth water programs being undertaken in the Murray—Darling Basin include:
- Voluntary water purchase program for the 450GL (Restoring our Rivers)
- Bridging the Gap
- Resilient Rivers Program
Water purchased by these programs are managed by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH)

The Cultural flows planning program aims to support Basin First Nations People to plan for and develop the skills needed to access, manage and own water in the Basin.

These plans will make it easier to access the water entitlements purchased by the program.

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River Flows - Jordan Lovegrove

In recognition of the First Nations Peoples’ enduring custodianship of the Murray–Darling Basin, the department engaged Jordon Lovegrove to create an artwork that reflects his perspective and the deep connection of the First Nations Peoples to the water, land, and spirit of Country. The artwork by Jordan Lovegrove, Ngarrindjeri, of Dreamtime Creative, represents the Murray–Darling Basin waterway system emphasising the interconnecting catchments and their role in sustaining life. The white lines are the river and the coloured areas and patterns represent the different catchments.

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Video Gallery

Short videos

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What is a water entitlement?

A legal share of water from a particular place, like a river or catchment. It gives the owner the right to receive water when it is available. They are described in terms of,

volume (megalitres, ML),

reliability (how often you can access the full volume), and

system (where the water is...

What is a water allocation?

A water allocation is the amount of water deposited into the water bank account each year.
The amount changes based on rainfall, dam storage levels and river conditions. The reliability of the entitlement also affects how much water is allocated. For example, a person may own 100 ML of water,...

Get in Touch

Get in Touch

Looking to gift or trade water? Email AWEPpurchasing@dcceew.gov.au to learn how you can interact with the program.

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