Murray-Darling Water Sharing Amendment Bill 2026 Changes Toowoomba Irrigation Priorities

The Murray-Darling Basin Water Sharing Amendment Bill 2026, passed by the Queensland Parliament on 7 July, revises entitlement rules for the Condamine-Balonne catchment that feeds farms around Toowoomba. Existing licence holders receive first call on available flows during low-storage periods, while new or expanded operations face stricter caps.

The changes arrive as the 2025-26 Queensland Budget papers record continued dry conditions across the Darling Downs and note the $10 billion Inland Rail project construction phase now underway through the region. State water planners have linked the bill to updated Murray-Darling Basin Authority modelling that projects lower average inflows through 2030.

Effects on local households and businesses

Toowoomba residents who rely on irrigated dairy, grain and feedlot operations supplied from the river system will see their existing entitlements protected in the first instance. Property owners near Oakey and Pittsworth with pre-2000 licences gain the clearest advantage, because the bill ranks historical use above later applications when storage levels drop below 40 per cent. New horticultural ventures seeking additional licences for almonds or cotton face reduced approval prospects and higher compliance costs.

Households in Toowoomba city itself are less directly affected, yet the legislation states that any surplus urban allocation can be traded only after agricultural priority needs are met. This clause limits the volume available for future residential or industrial growth on the city fringe.

The bill requires the Department of Regional Development to publish quarterly usage reports for the catchment. Local advocates note that the first reports, due in October 2026, will list the number of licences refused or scaled back under the new priority system.

Next steps for implementation

Regulations attached to the bill take effect on 1 January 2027. The government says the policy will be administered through existing Sunwater metering infrastructure, with an initial compliance budget of $2.8 million allocated in the 2026-27 state estimates. Property owners in the Toowoomba Regional Council area have until 30 September 2026 to lodge updated entitlement details for assessment.