The Basin Plan's management arrangements will be implemented at a local scale through water resource plans prepared by the Basin states for accreditation by the Commonwealth Water Minister. The Basin has been divided into 19 surface-water water resource plan areas. The boundaries of these areas are shown in the Surface Water Water Resource Plan Areas dataset.
The surface-water water resource plan areas cover the entire Basin, including those areas not previously subject to water planning arrangements. The water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin to which the Basin Plan will apply are identified in the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth). These resources do not include the Great Artesian Basin water resources.