Implementation of the National Water Initiative
South Australia
Total funding: Total project cost is $25,771,178 with $12,885,589 from the Australian Government and $12,885,589 from the South Australian Government.
About the project
This project has encompassed a suite of sub-projects to accelerate the implementation of the National Water Initiative (NWI) in South Australia. The project has improved water management planning in South Australia, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to provide certainty of access for all water users. The project has also included the establishment of an integrated information management system for South Australia's water information. This project reinforces both the South Australian Government's and the Australian Governments' commitment to the National Water Initiative.
Project outcomes and benefits
Now complete, this project has advanced the implementation of the National Water Initiative in South Australia. The implementation of the National Water Initiative will result in a nationally compatible market, regulatory and planning based system of managing surface and groundwater resources for rural and urban use that optimises economic, social and environmental outcomes.
About the National Water Initiative
The NWI builds on the previous Council of Australian Governments (COAG) framework for water reform signed by the Australian Government and all state and territory governments in 1994. Since 1994, national reform agreements of this kind have proved important for guiding water reform and maintaining the pace of water reform. The National Water Initiative represents the Australian Government's and the state and territory governments' shared commitment to water reform in recognition of:
- the continuing national imperative to increase the productivity and efficiency of Australia's water use;
- the need to service rural and urban communities, and
- the importance of ensuring the health of river and groundwater systems, including by establishing clear pathways to return all systems to environmentally sustainable levels of extraction.
Progress
This project contains 22 sub-projects, all of which have been completed as of 30 June 2010.
As part of the project the South Australia government completed a review of two pieces of South Australian legislation: the Irrigation Act 1994 and the Renmark Irrigation Trust Act 1936. This informed the development of the Irrigation Act 2009 and the Renmark Irrigation Trust Act 2009. The new legislation is consistent with the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, specifically in relation to water charging and removing obstacles to permanent trade.
This element of the project enabled South Australia to separate its water rights for the River Murray Prescribed Water Resource in September 2009. This has made trading water allocations and entitlements along the River Murray in South Australia cheaper and more efficient for both buyers and sellers.
A series of workshops have also been undertaken to assist South Australian National Resource Management Boards ensure that their water allocation planning arrangements are consistent with the National Water Initiative.
Another key achievement of the project has been the development of an environmental watering plan for the River Murray in South Australia. The plan describes the principles for the delivery, allocation, management and accounting of environmental water.
The final reports for each element of this project will be made available on this website shortly.
Water Smart Australia projects are funded by the Australian Government's Water for the Future initiative.
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