News

Emergency Water Planning in Western Australia

The latest in a series of emergency water response plans for dryland farming communities by the Western Australian Department of Water has been completed for Lake Grace Shire. The plans are part of ongoing work by the department to ensure the state's dryland farming communities are prepared for extended periods of low rainfall conditions and serious water deficiency in dryland agricultural areas.

Social Assessment Tools: Assessing Community Resilience

This document outlines an approach to social assessment for water re-allocation planning developed by Brigit Maguire and Sophie Cartwright for the Bureau of Rural Sciences. It was released in May 2008, and demonstrates how a resilience approach to social assessment provides a tool for communities to work in partnership with governments to understand the changes and their impacts of water re-allocation.

Innovations in Social Impact Assessment and Monitoring for the Resources Sector

The Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) is presenting a workshop on “Innovations in Social Impact Assessment and Monitoring for the Resources Sector” on the 17-18 March in Perth. Although the workshop has a mineral resources focus, much of the content of the workshop will be of interest to water planners who are improving the way that social and economic assessments are conducted in the preparation of water sharing plans and management arrangements.

Critical Times Need Practical Measures: Water Resource Planning in Australia

Poh-Ling Tan, project leader for the Water Planning Tools project, gave a presentation on February 16th, 2010 to the staff at the National Water Commission in Canberra as part of their Water Seminar Series. The seminar was to give insights into trials of collaborative measures undertaken both as part of the Water Planning Tools project and the TRaCK Collaborative Planning research.

Science Communication: The Water Education Toolkit

Australia's first water-education resource website for school students and teachers has been developed by researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) to increase water and sustainability awareness.  The toolkit provides linked access to a wide range of materials, including more than 700 online resources, which were provided by private and public Australian organisations. This collection now offers a single point of access for teachers and students from pre-school through to secondary school.

Professor Ian Lowe presents the truth and lies about Australia water politics

The 'Big Water Debate' was held in Adelaide on the 11th February, 2009 - jointly presented by the Water Action Coalition and The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre. Professor Ian Lowe, President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, commenced proceedings with his keynote address: "The truth and lies about water politics".

Eight Planning Models for 21st Century Water Allocation

One of the criticisms often leveled at Australia's National Water Initiative (NWI) is that the pathway specified for water reform attempts to combine market-based, regulatory and participatory elements, which are not necessarily compatible policy mechanisms. The tensions inherent between these different elements are intended to be resolved through implementation, and in particular in the detailed delivery of NWI through water resource plans.

Government Responds to Northern Australia Taskforce with Project Investment

In response to the recommendations of the recently published Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce report, the Australian Government has announced an investment of $2.4 million in two new projects designed to increase understanding of northern Australia's rivers and water resources, and guide land and water resource planning. Both of these projects will have direct application to water planning in Northern Australia, and implications for planning across the country. The two projects have been funded as part of the Australian Government's response to the Final Report of the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce and will be administered under the under the National Water Commission's $250 million Raising National Water Standards Program.

Is Rain the Only Solution to Australia's Water Crisis?

Former editor of "The Land" newspaper Paul Myers' article in last week's Sydney Morning Herald posed some serious questions for Australian water policy. He writes:

The more time elapses, the more confusing water policy becomes. As the savage inland drought continues, the impact on farming families and food production worsens. The more politicised the management of our most vital resource becomes, the murkier the waters get. We agree on only one fact: we have a water problem, especially with rivers. But how should it be fixed?

Victoria's Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy

In early December 2009, the Victorian Minister for Water released the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy. The driving objective behind this 50 year strategic water plan is to improve the allocations from northern Victoria’s reserve water system to safeguard the delivery of water to towns and agriculture even in times of drought.