Council of Australian Governments water reform
Shepparton Weir, Victoria
Photo John Baker
About the Council of Australian Governments water reforms
The role of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is to initiate, develop and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of national significance and which require cooperative action by Australian governments.
The outcomes of COAG meetings are contained in communiqués released at the end of each meeting. COAG discussed water reform at its December 2009 meeting and agreed to redouble its efforts to accelerate the pace of reform under the National Water Initiative.
It further committed to:
- completing National Water Initiative consistent water-sharing plans
- a National Framework for Non-urban Water Metering
- a National Water Skills Strategy
- a National Framework for Compliance and Enforcement Systems for Water Resource Management.
COAG also sought advice in 2010 on addressing the main findings of the National Water Commission's Second biennial assessment of progress in implementation of the National Water Initiative (NWI).
Agreements on water management are made at COAG as well as relevant Ministerial Councils including:
- Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council
- Environment Protection and Heritage Council
- Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council
COAG work program on water
In March 2008, COAG agreed to develop a work program on water with actions under four main themes:
- addressing overallocation and achieving environmental outcomes
- enhancing water markets
- urban water reforms
- water information and capacity building
Related information
At its November 2008 meeting, COAG considered the work program and agreed to specific actions designed to enhance and build on the National Water Initiative.
As a consequence of the work program, governments have agreed to the following:
- National Water Market System
- National Water Initiative pricing principles
- National Urban Water Planning Principles
- Service standards for trade approval times
- Strategy on Water and Wastewater Services in remote (including Indigenous) communities
National Water Initiative
The principal COAG water policy agreement is the National Water Initiative (NWI), which is Australia's enduring blueprint for water reform. Through it, governments across Australia have agreed on actions to achieve a more cohesive national approach to the way Australia manages, measures, plans for, prices, and trades water. The NWI was signed at the 25 June 2004 COAG meeting.
The NWI builds on the 1994 COAG Water Reform Framework.
More information about National Water Initiative reforms.
Environmental water
Governments have agreed to report on environmental water recovery and environmental water management and outcomes.
Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin water reform
On 3 July 2008 the Australian and state governments signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform to secure a sustainable future for the Murray-Darling Basin:
- Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform (PDF - 236 KB)
- COAG Communiqué 3 July 2008
Water Management Partnership Agreements were subsequently agreed between each of the Murray-Darling Basin States and the Commonwealth, setting out the terms and conditions for Commonwealth funding of state water infrastructure and water savings projects, and requiring specific water planning and market reforms.
For more information on Water Act 2007 and other reforms related to the Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform see:
See also
- Bureau of Meteorology - water information
- Council of Australian Governments' Water Reform Framework
- Lake Eyre Basin Agreement
- Living Murray Initiative
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority
- National Water Commission
- COAG review of the National Water Commission
- National Water Initiative
- NWI reforms
- Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme
- Water for a Healthy Country Flagship
- Watering locations