Legal and policy drivers for water reform
The National Water Initiative
The ACT Government is a partner to the 2004 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Water Initiative (NWI). The NWI is responding to the over allocation of Australia’s water resources, and the need for increased efficiency of water use. The NWI is a shared commitment by governments across Australia towards achieving a more cohesive national approach to managing, measuring, planning for, pricing and trading water.
COAG urban water reform
In 2008 COAG renewed the water reform agenda by announcing a work program to address key challenges in urban water management and planning. In 2009, COAG released the National Urban Water Planning Principles.
The need for reform in urban water planning and management is further supported by the outcomes of the:
- 2014 National Water Reform Assessment (National Water Commission)
- Urban water in Australia: future directions
- 2011 Productivity Commission report into the Australia’s urban water sector.
Murray–Darling Basin Plan
Murray-Darling Basin Authority is responsible for preparing and overseeing a legally enforceable management plan – the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The Basin Plan sets and enforces environmentally sustainable limits on the quantities of water that may be taken from Basin water resources. It has Basin-wide environmental, water quality and salinity objectives and aims to develop efficient water trading regimes across the Basin. The plan includes requirements for state water resource plans and aims to improve water security for all Basin users.
Water Resource Plans
The Basin Plan aims to achieve healthy, working rivers that support productive and resilient water-dependent industries, healthy and resilient ecosystems and communities with access to sufficient and reliable water supplies. Water Resource Plans are required to be prepared by all Basin jurisdictions, including the ACT, to ensure that water resources within the Murray-Darling Basin are managed consistently and to the standards set by the Basin Plan. To meet our obligations, the ACT developed and received accreditation for our surface and groundwater water resource plans.
The Commonwealth Minister's decision instrument and the explanatory statement for the ACT water resource plans are available on Federal Register of Legislation.
Long-Term Diversion Limit Equivalence
The ACT Government worked with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to identify the Long-Term Diversion Limit Equivalence (LTDLE) factor for environmental water recovery from the ACT.
LTDLE factors are used to:
- accurately assess how much water has been recovered for the environment
- guide future water recovery decisions.
The factors provide a consistent reporting system to ensure water recovery has occurred as planned. They also identify where any future water recovery may be required.
The LTDLE Factor for Environmental Water Recovery from the ACT Factsheet [PDF 354.5 KB] summarises how the ACT’s LTDLE factor was determined. For more information about LTDLE factors and links to state and territory publications, visit the Factors for water recovery page on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority website.
Regional context
The ACT – NSW Regional Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding 2011 [PDF 2.0 MB] strengthens collaboration to optimise regional outcomes and service delivery to the ACT and surrounding South East NSW region. Regional collaboration by the ACT and NSW facilitates joint planning for sustainable regional growth, optimising future regional economic prospects and meeting regional service needs.