There are ongoing challenges for water management in Australia that are as yet unmet. I will argue that there is an urgent need for a refresh of the direction and vision for managing water in inland Australia, recognising the challenges of a drying climate and our moral and ethical obligations to a healthy, equitable community. This needs to include indigenous perspectives as part of a recasting of the nexus between social well-being, environmental values and economic benefits. I will discuss current research in this space and set the challenge: how are we going to generate and implement a vision for sustainable and equitable use of water in inland Australia?