Cultural flows grants back First Nations-led water planning ahead of major Basin reviews

First Nations groups across the Murray–Darling Basin are set to expand planning for “Cultural Flows” after new federal grants were awarded to support governance, business planning and water strategies led by Traditional Owners. The funding is designed to help Nations define the water their Country needs and strengthen the structures required to hold and manage water entitlements.

Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) a confederation of Sovereign First Nations from the southern Basin, says it has secured grant funding for eight projects. They include initiatives connected to Wiradjuri, Wolgalu, Ngunnawal, Maraura, Barapa Barapa and Yita Yita Nations, with work focused on planning, governance development, and cultural flow strategies.

MLDRIN chair Brendan Kennedy described the moment as a rare opening for reform, saying, “This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for First Nations to genuinely advance water justice and justice for the Environment.” The push comes as the Murray–Darling Basin Authority prepares for a 2026 Basin Plan review and as governments move toward a 2027 review of the Water Act.

The grants sit within the Albanese Government’s $20 million Cultural Flows Planning for Cultural Economies program. In announcing broader funding for more than 50 projects, the federal Environment and Water portfolio said the work will help First Nations communities prepare to access, own and manage water, including through the $100 million Murray–Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program.

Interim chair of the Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests, Kay Blades, said the funding is intended to support ownership as well as planning. “It supports ownership and management of water for cultural, spiritual, social, environmental and economic outcomes.” she said.

The policy context is stark: Australian government water policy notes that First Nations people own and control less than 0.2 per cent of Australia’s surface water entitlements. Advocates argue Cultural Flows planning is a practical step toward self-determination, enabling Nations to negotiate from a position grounded in Country, law and community priorities.

For MLDRIN and other Basin Nations, the immediate focus is building plans that can be taken into negotiations and reviews, while keeping cultural authority and decision-making in First Nations hands.