Maximising environmental benefits from water recovered under the Basin Plan 2012 requires relaxing constraints on river flows. In 2023, the Basin Plan was amended, directing the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to develop a Constraints Relaxation Implementation Roadmap by 31 December 2024. This Roadmap will guide governments in identifying, developing, and implementing measures to relax constraints while managing third-party impacts.

Commissioned by the MDBA, Alluvium led the development of this Roadmap, leveraging our expertise in water resource management and basin planning. Through extensive consultation with Basin states, the Commonwealth, First Nations, landholders, and the public, the Roadmap incorporates lessons learned from the 2013 Constraints Management Strategy and focuses on a community-centered and coordinated approach.

A key priority is better engagement with First Nations peoples, ensuring their voices shape water management decisions. Ultimately, achieving healthy river systems for future generations depends on strong collaboration between governments and the people of the Basin. The Roadmap has been serving as a critical tool in advancing this shared goal.