Water for the Future

Government action

National Leadership on Water

Australia faces major challenges in ensuring sustainable water supply in the face of drying climate and rising demand for water. In response, the Australian Government is providing national leadership in water reform for all Australians, focussing on four key water priorities.

1. Taking action on climate change

The Government is building the scientific and technical expertise to understand how much water Australia's river and groundwater systems are capable of providing into the future.

Answering this question is fundamental to the question of long term water security, providing the information to underpin improved planning, decision making and water resource investment by governments and industry stakeholders.

2. Using water wisely

Climate change undoubtedly means we need to be able to do more with less. In rural areas, the Government will work with the States to improve key irrigation infrastructure in order to minimise system losses and enhance water use efficiency.

In urban areas, the Government has a $250 million rainwater and greywater program to help families invest in saving water at home.

The Government will also provide $250 million for new and replacement water infrastructure in our cities and towns.

In addition, the Australian Government's Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme makes it mandatory for certain whitegoods and plumbing products to carry labels showing their water efficiency.

The Government is working with the States to better coordinate efforts in enhancing the effectiveness of water markets and assessing water supply in remote communities, including Indigenous communities.

3. Securing water supplies

Desalination plants, recycling schemes and stormwater projects are currently being built around the country as a means of better securing urban water supplies. Importantly, the Government's $1 billion National Urban Water and Desalination Plan, which will support such initiatives, will also be used to leverage further urban water reform by the States.

4. Healthy rivers and waterways

In the Murray Darling Basin in particular, it is clear that we have a problem with over-allocation of water resources. The Government is currently in the water market purchasing entitlements from willing sellers, at a fair market price, to put water back into the environment.

The $50 million investment for the first round of water entitlement purchasing is a down-payment on the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. It is also the first time the national government has ever directly purchased water for the environment.

News

See also

Key

   Links to another web site
   Opens a pop-up window