On 23 July 2019, the Senate moved that the Senate Select Committee on the Multi-Jurisdictional Management and Execution of the Murray Darling Basin Plan be established to inquire and report on the following matters by 1 November 2020:

1. responsibilities in relation to the management and execution of the Murray Darling Basin Plan consistent with the objects of the Water Act 2007, in particular:
   1. Commonwealth responsibilities,
   2. state and territory responsibilities, and
   3. areas of uncertainty or potential conflict in respect of responsibilities;
2. the effects, positive or negative or otherwise, of the different approaches of the states and territories to water resource management in the Murray Darling Basin including, but not limited to:
   1. legislation, regulations and rules,
   2. management and administration, including differences in management organisations,
   3. measuring, monitoring and compliance,
   4. enforcement, and
   5. openness and transparency;
3. complications in respect of basin-wide or cross jurisdiction oversight, including the oversight roles and jurisdictional limitations of:
   1. state, territory and federal parliaments,
   2. state, territory and federal courts, and
   3. state, territory and federally-instituted inquiries and Royal Commissions;
4. any bill related to the Murray Darling Basin referred to the committee; and
5. any related matters.

Journals of the Senate No. 5 - Tuesday, 23 July 2019

The committee was originally due to present its final report on or before 1 November 2020. On 25 August 2020, the reporting date was extended to 30 June 2021. On 4 February 2021, the committee agreed to further extend the reporting date to 30 September 2021.