Basin-scale evaluation of 2020–21 Commonwealth environmental water: Species Diversity

Strategic management of Commonwealth water for the environment by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) is key to achieving the Commonwealth’s (Murray–Darling) Basin Plan 2012 environmental objectives. The 3-year Basin-scale Flow-MER aims to demonstrate Basin-scale outcomes of Commonwealth water for the environment, support adaptive management, and fulfil CEWH legislative requirements under the Basin Plan. The Species Diversity evaluation focuses on section 8.05 of the Basin Plan 2012 – Protection and restoration of water-dependent ecosystems. Section 8.05 sets out the objectives relating to the protection and restoration of water-dependent ecosystems in the context of species and populations, threatened taxa, and communities and ecosystems listed under state and national legislation and international agreements – Bonn Convention, China–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA), Japan–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and Republic of Korea–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA). This report focuses on evaluating species diversity outcomes not covered in the evaluations of Fish, Vegetation and Ecosystem Diversity – frogs, waterbirds, and turtles along with other water-dependent aquatic vertebrates including reptiles, platypus and rakali with reference to listed threatened species as defined under the Commonwealth Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and relevant state legislation.