Lake Eyre Basin (Kati Thanda)
About the basin
The Lake Eyre Basin covers about 1.2 million square kilometres, almost one-sixth of Australia, and is among the world’s largest internally draining river systems. Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre) is the fifth largest terminal lake in the world.
The basin includes large parts of South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and some of western New South Wales. About 57,000 people live and work in the basin, which supports a range of nationally important natural, social and economic values. It includes wetlands such as the Ramsar-listed Coongie Lakes and national parks supporting many rare and endangered species of plants and animals and preserving Aboriginal heritage sites.
Institutional arrangements
The Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement established the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum, which is the decision-making body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement.
The Minister for Climate, Environment and Water represents South Australia on the Ministerial Forum, which has established the following:
- Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to ensure Ministers have advice from a wide range of community and industry sectors with an interest in the Basin
- Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to advise on scientific and technical issues related to the sustainable management of the Basin
- Senior Officers Group (SOG) comprising a senior public servant from each jurisdiction. The role of the SOG is to oversee the provision of information and advice to the Ministerial Forum, and the implementation of Ministerial Forum resolutions and decisions.
The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources provides support for the agreement through the SOG, CAC and SAP.
Implementation of the agreement
To meet the purpose, objectives and principles set out in the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement, the Ministerial Forum develops and/or adopts policies and strategies dealing with matters including:
- river flows
- water quality
- management of water and related natural resources (floodplain, riparian vegetation)
- catchment management
- existing and new water resources development
- research and monitoring requirements.
The Ministerial Forum has adopted 6 policies and 12 high priority strategies to ensure sustainable management of the basin’s resources, which were used to develop the Lake Eyre Basin Strategic Plan.
The agreement must be reviewed five years after the date it became effective and thereafter on a 10 yearly basis. Information on the reviews of the agreement are available here.
The agreement also required a review of the condition of all watercourses and catchments within the agreement area after the fifth anniversary of its effective date and then after every 10 years. Information on the reviews of the agreement are available here.
