Water Act 2007 (Cth) Review – Public Consultation - Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

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Overview

The Water Act 2007 (Cth) (the Act) was introduced following Australia’s Millennium Drought. It establishes the framework for managing water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin (Basin) through cooperation between the Commonwealth and Basin states.

The Act also mandates the collection, collation and sharing of water data and information nationally to support water management decisions.

Geoff Leeper PSM has been appointed as the Independent Reviewer to lead the review and provide recommendations to government by 28 February 2027. Vanessa O’Keefe has been appointed Deputy Reviewer.

This work is supported by Dr Teagan Shields as the review’s First Nations Advisor.

The Water Act Review Interim Report sets out the Independent Reviewer’s interim findings and recommendations. Stakeholders across the Murray–Darling Basin and around Australia are invited to provide feedback to help inform the final stage of the Review.

The interim recommendations are being put forward for testing through consultation. Feedback on the Interim Report will inform further analysis and the recommendations in the Final Report.

A Water Act Review Interim Report webinar will be held at 1pm (AEDT) on Friday 13 November 2026. Register to attend.

Have your say

To have your say:

read the consultation documents
upload a submission and/or complete the survey questions.

Make your submission by 11.59pm on 17 December 2026.

Take the survey

Consultation documents

Consultation Materials

Water Act Review Interim Report [PDF 1.9MB]
Water Act Review Interim Report [DOCX 11.3MB]

Supporting Documents

For more information on the Water Act Review, please visit our website.

Water Act Review Discussion Paper submissions

The Water Act Review Discussion Paper consultation was open from 17 July 2026 to 31 August 2026.

The Discussion Paper was developed to support engagement on the operation of the Water Act 2007. The paper outlined key issues for consideration and asked questions to help guide feedback from stakeholders.

Thank you to everyone who provided a submission.