A second round of water entitlement purchases in the northern Murray-Darling Basin has opened and will run until 30 June, the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, announced today.

"Irrigators upstream of Menindee Lakes are again invited to submit offers to the Australian Government to sell their water entitlements," Senator Wong said.

"Environmental assets in the northern Murray-Darling Basin are under severe stress due to over-allocation of Australia's water resources.

"The Rudd Government is the first Federal Government to purchase water directly to give rivers and wetlands across the Murray-Darling system a greater share of water when it becomes available."

Today's announcement follows the successful first round of purchases in the northern Murray-Darling Basin, which closed on 19 December 2008 after attracting 263 applications. Applications are still being assessed and the purchase amount will be publicised once trades are confirmed.

The northern Basin tender complements the 2008-09 southern Basin tender, which opened on 7 October 2008 and runs until June 30.

The new purchasing round is the next step in the Rudd Government's commitment to allocate $400 million to water purchases in the northern Basin.

Under Water for the Future, the Australian Government has committed $3.1 billion to buying back water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Other Rudd Government actions to help get the Basin's rivers, farmers and communities back on a sustainable footing are:

• Establishing the new independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority to manage the Basin as a single entity with a new scientifically-based limit on water use.
• Committing $3.9 billion so far towards specific investments in water efficiency and irrigation infrastructure in the Basin.
• Completing an initial water purchasing round that secured approximately 28 gigalitres of water for rivers and wetlands.
• Initiating a program to work with state governments to purchase appropriately-sited properties with large water entitlements where environmental benefits and value-for-money exist (e.g the purchase of Toorale Station that will return an average of over 20 gigalitres of water to the Darling River each year).
• Inviting groups of irrigators wishing to leave the industry to submit proposals to sell their water entitlements together in ways that provide benefits for farmers and rivers.
• A small block irrigators exit grant package.

Detailed program guidelines are available at www.environment.gov.au/water or by calling 1800 218 478.