Legislation has been introduced in both State Parliaments to implement the historic Murray-Darling Basin Agreement by transferring powers from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to the new independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

NSW Water Minister, Phillip Costa, the move would help deliver a new whole-of-Basin approach to water management.

SA Minister for the River Murray Karlene Maywald said the move was an "important step toward the strong national leadership required to improve the health of the River Murray and provide security of supply to all users".

Mrs Maywald says the new arrangements would deliver the reforms that were committed to at COAG in July including:

* developing a Basin-wide plan that will set new sustainable caps (limits) on the volume of water that can be extracted in each river valley, including groundwater, and provide for critical human needs.

* ensuring South Australia has to access to interstate storages Hume and Dartmouth Dam for critical human needs and private carryover water; and

* establishing a system for sharing water in the River Murray system and key tributaries under normal, low water availability and extreme drought conditions.