A new report, released today by The Australia Institute, questions using averages to represent flows in the Barwon-Darling and challenges the NSW Water Minister’s claims about how much water is going into maintain river health.

Two massive flood years, 1950 and 1956 account for 21% of all of the water flows since 1944. These two mega-floods distort averages, giving a false expectation of available water.

The report comes on the back of revelations of water theft and toothless regulation in the Murray-Darling Basin.