Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment
The recent drought and recognition of potential impacts of climate change on water availability in southern Australia have led to renewed interest in the development of Northern Australia. The Australian Government has established the Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment (the assessment) to provide the science needed to inform the development and protection of Northern Australia’s water resources, so that development is ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable.
The assessment is a multidisciplinary program being delivered jointly by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and the National Water Commission , in close collaboration with the Office of Northern Australia and state and territory government agencies. The assessment is comprised of four components:
- Water Resources program (the CSIRO Northern Australian Sustainable Yields project)
- Ecological program
- Cultural and Social program
- Knowledge Base program
Under Water for the Future, up to $13 million will be made available from 2007-08 to 2011-12 for approved projects. The assessment will bring together existing information and commission work where a clear need for additional information is identified for key basins in Northern Australia.
The geographical area being considered by the assessment stretches more than 3,000 km, from Broome in the west to Cairns in the east.
This area includes three drainage divisions:
The assessment will focus on those catchments identified by jurisdictions as likely to experience hydrological change due to water resource development or climate change.
The assessment will release work incrementally until its completion in 2012 and will result in a comprehensive and enduring knowledge base, which will make information available to decision-makers and the community.
Assessment news
New projects
Three new assessment projects commenced in early 2011:
- Assessing the likely impacts of development on Aquatic Ecological Assets in northern Australia
- Identifying tools and processes to capture/articulate Indigenous social and economic aspirations with respect to water in Northern Australia
- Social and cultural values project
Newsletters
Further information on the assessment's progress can be found in the most recent e-newsletter.
Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce
The assessment also supported the work of the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce (the taskforce), which was established in 2007 to examine the potential for further land and water development in northern Australia. The taskforce's work concluded in 2009, with the delivery of its final report, Sustainable development of northern Australia. The report identifies opportunities for development in northern Australia that can proceed in a manner that is ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable. The taskforce received secretariat support from the Office of Northern Australia .
The $6 million National Australia Sustainable Futures (NASF) program was developed as an initial Australian Government response to the final report of the taskforce. The NASF aims to build a collaborative broad based economic development strategy for northern Australia and will be guided by the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum. The NASF program is being implemented by the Office of Northern Australia and is scheduled to run until 2012-2013.
Contact us
For further queries or to receive updates, email northern.assessment@environment.gov.au or phone 1800 218 478.
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