Ghost water, poor planning and theft: how the Murray-Darling plan fell apart

More than five years and $9bn since the basin plan began, the Murray-Darling river system is in crisis. In a series of in-depth features and articles this week, Guardian Australia will explore what's gone wrongKate McBride stands on the banks of the Lower Darling river as it flows past her family property, Tolarno, south of Menindee in New South Wales. She surveys the stagnating waterholes that were once a river. They are turning an alarming shade of chartreuse, thanks to blue-green algae.The sometimes mighty river has ceased to flow again this summer - an increasingly regular occurrence in these reaches of the Murray-Darling system. Continue reading...