Murray–Darling Basin Leadership Program
A leadership program for people ready to work across sectors, communities and perspectives to support the long term health of the Basin and the communities it sustains.
Solutions start with difficult conversations.
Real change in the Murray–Darling Basin starts when you’re willing to step in, sit with the tension and talk it through.
Program information
The Murray–Darling Basin Leadership Program (MDBLP) brings together people from across the Basin who are ready to work beyond their own interests and contribute to something shared — including strengthening understanding of how the Basin’s water resources are managed and why they matter.
This is a leadership experience designed for people who care deeply about the future of the Basin and the communities, industries and water dependent ecosystems it supports.
You will join a diverse cohort of people from across regions, sectors and backgrounds, including First Nations peoples whose knowledge and connection to Country are central to the Basin’s long-term health.
Together, you will build the skills, relationships and mindset needed to work through complexity, navigate difference and take action where it matters most. This includes engaging your communities, supporting informed dialogue about water use, and helping educate Australians about the Basin’s water resources and the pressures they face.
The Murray–Darling Basin is shaped by competing needs, strong views and long-standing challenges. Progress requires more than technical solutions. It requires people who can listen, work across difference and act for the greater good.
This program creates the conditions for that to happen.
It brings people together to build shared understanding, strengthen trust and support a different way of working across the Basin. One that values collaboration, respect and long-term thinking.
Through a mix of immersive learning, reflection and real-world application, you will:
- Build the confidence to lead in complex and uncertain environments
- Strengthen your ability to have difficult conversations while building strong relationships
- Develop a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives within the Basin
- Learn how to work collaboratively across sectors, regions and systems
- Contribute to initiatives that respond to real world challenges
- Open to all established and emerging leaders from across the Basin with a genuine commitment to working collboratively in search of solutions. You don’t need a title or formal role – just a demonstrated commitment to the Basin and a curiosity about what’s possible.
- The program aims for a balanced representation of geography, sector, gender, ethnicity and age across the Basin.
- Two in-person sessions and online learning sessions over a 10-month period.
- Participants will receive group coaching between in-person sessions and following the second in-person session to support the transition of learnings into practice.
There will be three program intakes available. Full dates will be released soon.
- Cohort 1: Commences June 2026
- Cohort 2: Commences October 2026
- Cohort 3: Commences March 2027
Each cohort will be held in a different region of the Basin – North, South and Central. Participants will be able to choose the cohort that best suits their needs. Final dates and venues will be confirmed shortly.
The program includes a mix of in-person workshops, online sessions and project work both individually and with fellow participants.
Participants on the program are fully funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, valued at approximately $23,000 per participant.
Travel investment details will be confirmed soon to support your planning ahead of the program.
Become a leader the Basin needs
We are looking for 24 people from across the Basin to join the first cohort of the Murray–Darling Basin Leadership Program.
This is your chance to be among the first to take part in a new leadership experience designed for people who care deeply about the future of the Murray–Darling Basin and the communities, industries and environments that depend on it.
You will join a diverse group of people from across the Basin to build your leadership capability, strengthen your self-awareness, and learn how to work with complexity, difference and change. Along the way, you will form valuable connections with others who are committed to shaping a strong future for the Basin.
Powering community-led solutions
The Murray–Darling Basin faces complex and long running challenges. Water management, community confidence, environmental outcomes and regional livelihoods are deeply connected. Progress depends on more than technical expertise. It depends on leadership that builds trust, respects different views and works for the greater good.
By developing adaptive leadership and strengthening cross-sector networks, the Murray–Darling Basin Leadership Program aims to supports leaders to move beyond sectoral positions, work through conflict and create shared solutions across the Basin.
Why this matters for the Basin
Personal growth is the starting point, but the ultimate goal is a better future for our region. By participating, you help build a network that can achieve what individuals working in isolation cannot.
- Building trust: Help break down long-standing barriers and build the trust needed to solve the region’s hardest problems.
- Locally led solutions: Strengthen the ability of Murray–Darling Basin communities to lead the development of solutions and initiate the necessary change.
- A lasting legacy: Be the start of creating the change that is required for the greater good of your community and the Basin overall.
Why you should apply
Develop the skills to lead through complexity and uncertainty
Move beyond traditional top-down management and build a style of leadership that brings people together and shares influence. You will learn practical ways to lead through the complex and uncertain challenges shaping life in the Basin today, while strengthening your ability to mobilise others and turn good ideas into collective action.
Understand the human side of leadership
Build your self-awareness and authenticity so you can form genuine connections, even with people who see the world differently. You will also strengthen your ability to have the conversations that matter and navigate tension in a way that maintains trust and professional relationships.
A network for life
Join a nationwide network of more than 3,000 alumni and create a diverse and lasting network across the Basin. Stay connected through the ARLF Hub, with opportunities for ongoing development and work alongside experienced mentors and coaches who support your growth after the sessions end.
How you will deepen your leadership for the Basin
Discovery and awareness
- Step into an immersive experience in the Murray–Darling Basin where you will be challenged across physical, emotional, social and intellectual levels.
- Reflect deeply on how you show up and your ability to sit with complexity and navigate discomfort.
- Build awareness of others and explore diverse perspectives shaped by place, culture and lived experience.
Collaboration and experimentation
- Work alongside your peers to design and test practical initiatives that respond to real challenges in the Basin.
- Explore new approaches to leadership, including participatory decision making and networked ways of working.
- With support through group coaching, you will build plans, strengthen relationships and take action between sessions.
Connection and understanding
- Engage with real stories, case studies and forums that bring the Basin to life.
- Form strong foundations for collaboration and build shared understanding.
- Explore the opportunities, tensions and trade-offs that shape the region, while building the trust and openness needed to have honest conversations.
Leadership and mobilisation
- Develop the skills to lead in complex and changing environments.
- You will strengthen your communication, confidence and strategic thinking, while learning how to listen well and work with different perspectives.
- Together, you will map influence across the cohort and explore how to mobilise people, ideas and action in your own context.
Impact and continuation
- Reconnect to reflect on your progress, challenge your thinking and strengthen the impact of your initiatives.
- Focus on sustaining momentum, deepening collaboration and continuing your leadership beyond the program.
- You will leave with a stronger network and a clear pathway for ongoing contribution across the Basin.
Progress starts with difficult conversations.
Real change in the Murray–Darling Basin starts when you’re willing to step in, sit with the tension and talk it through.
Register your interest
Express your interest in the Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program by completing this form.
This is step one.
Once submitted, we’ll send you further information by email.
Frequently asked questions
If you have a question, you might find the answer below. If we haven’t answered it, our friendly team is happy to chat with you. Get in touch via email or give us a call on (02) 6281 0680.
This program is for people who care about the future of the Murray–Darling Basin and are ready to work with others to make progress.
The program will recruit a diverse mix of participants, including young leaders, community leaders, industry representatives, First Nations participants and people in formal authority roles.
The aim is to reflect the full diversity of the Basin.
You may be working in community, industry, government or advocacy. You do not need a formal leadership title. What matters is your willingness to contribute beyond your own interests and engage with different perspectives.
This program brings together a diverse group from across the Basin to learn through real challenges, not theory alone. You will work across differences, build trust and explore how to act in complex situations where there is no clear answer. The focus is on collective leadership and shared outcomes for the Basin.
Participants are selected to create a diverse cohort across geography, sectors and perspectives. The focus is on building a group that can work together for the future of the Basin. Selection is undertaken in partnership with the program funder.
The program runs over ten months and includes three face-to-face sessions in the Basin, supported by group coaching and mentoring. Between sessions, you will stay connected with your cohort and apply what you are learning in your own context.
You will take part in three residential sessions, group coaching over several months and ongoing engagement with your cohort. You will also spend time applying your learning in your work and community. The program is designed to fit alongside your existing commitments while still challenging you to grow.
Build your ability to work through complexity, understand different perspectives and take action with others. This includes developing self-awareness, strengthening your ability to have difficult conversations and learning how to mobilise people around shared goals.
You will also grow your skills in adaptive leadership, collaboration, conflict resolution and working across boundaries.
Join a Basin‑wide network of leaders committed to shared responsibility and collective action.
Group coaching brings participants together to reflect, share experiences and support each other to take action. You will learn from others, test ideas and stay accountable to your goals. This helps turn insight into real change over time.
Yes. You will be supported by experienced facilitators, coaches and your cohort. The program is designed to be both challenging and safe, with space for reflection, feedback and growth.
You will remain connected to a growing network of people across the Basin who are working together on shared challenges. Many participants continue to collaborate, support each other and contribute to long-term change in their communities and sectors.
Participants on the program are fully funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, valued at approximately $23,000 per participant.
The MDBLP grant offers up to $1.65 million (GST inclusive). This funding supports program design, delivery and evaluation across 3 cohorts.
Travel investment details will be confirmed soon to support your planning ahead of the program.
A grant arrangement is consistent with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles.
Grants are used when the Commonwealth provides financial assistance to a partner to help achieve government policy outcomes while supporting the partner to meet its own objectives.
This model is appropriate for a leadership program of this nature.
Strong local leadership is essential to the future of the Basin. Communities are dealing with competing water demands, climate variability and socio‑economic change.
This program supports adaptive and collaborative leadership so people can work together, even when they hold different views, to make progress on shared Basin outcomes.
The program helps participants understand the Basin’s challenges more deeply and empowers them to act beyond individual or sectoral interests.
The aim is to build a cohort of people who can work together across differences and contribute to long-term outcomes for the Basin. This includes stronger relationships, better collaboration and more effective responses to complex challenges.
This supports the Basin Plan’s objectives by strengthening the relationships, trust and collaboration needed for long‑term water reform.
The program strengthens the leadership capacity needed to support long‑term Basin health and resilience.
Participants will be better equipped to engage with water reform, navigate uncertainty and work with others to deliver positive outcomes for their communities.
Eligibility
Established and emerging leaders from across the Basin with a genuine commitment to working collboratively in search of solutions. The program aims for a balanced representation of geography, sector, gender, ethnicity and age across the Basin.
Commitment
A 10-month program involving three residential sessions held within the Basin, supported by coaching component.
Program graduation will be at the end of session three and mentoring will continue for two months following to support ongoing learning and leadership contribution.
Investment
Program costs are covered by funding partners. Between 30-35 sponsored places are available each year and each scholarship is valued at $60,500.
Participant contribution: $5,500
Delivery mode & venue
Combination of face-to-face residential workshops, online sessions and project work both individually and with fellow participants.
Courses
Course dates TBC