The Murray Darling Association is the peak body for local government in the Murray-Darling Basin. We have been informing policy and contributing local knowledge and regional solutions since 1944.There are 167 councils over four states that sit within the Murray-Darling Basin and whose communities rely on water from within it. The management of water and other Basin resources is a matter of significant interest to local government. Councils need certainty and reliability to support the communities we lead and serve.The allocation, sustainability, availability and affordability of water resources is a critical factor in the environmental, social, cultural, and economic health and stability of the Muray-Darling Basin and of our nation, as a whole.Our purpose is to provide effective representation of localgovernment and communities at state and federal level in themanagement of Basin resources by providing information,facilitating discussion and seeking to inform governmentpolicy.