Submission to 2011 Biennial Assessment of progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative
November 2010
The National Water Initiative has been a key driver of water reform in Australia and is the main legacy of the Howard government in this field.
Arguably its key weakness is its inability to actually require the states to make changes in the ways they manage water, and that with many deadlines approaching (for example addressing interception activities in over-allocated catchments by 2011), this weakness is being progressively exposed. Similarly the NWI’s objective of giving environmental water equal status with consumptive water is a long way from being met because of weaknesses and differences in the underlying state legislations. Lastly, progress in addressing over-allocation of river systems has been slow.
Download our full submission here
