Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
environment and provided a clear framework to proceed. There is, however,
much yet to be achieved. Whether these important outcomes will be
achieved or the funds frittered away in endless wrangling, disagreement and
the building of further infrastructure desired by the engineers is yet to be
seen. The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council has now taken its first
step in restoring the health of the Murray River by committing to 500 GL
over a five-year period. The amount of water to be recovered for the river
comes to about 3.5 per cent of the total water extracted from the river.
Emerging principles to guide water reform
The Wentworth Group released its Blueprint for a National Water Plan in
mid-2003, and established some broad principles on which to go forward:
•
all Australians have a right to a supply of safe water for domestic use
•
all have a responsibility to use water efficiently
•
environmental health provides the essential foundation for all other
uses. Without healthy rivers other uses by society are not possible
•
those who use water to create wealth need security of water supply
and must take responsibility for sustainable outcomes
•
Australians must become water literate and understand how their
individual actions affect our water resources and the resources of
those living 'downstream'.
The challenge of how to recover water for the environment in an equita-
ble and efficient way has delayed the returning of water to the environment.
The Government started a consultative process on the 'Living Murray pro-
gram' (see www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au), but gave no indication as
to how it expected to recover the water. It was hardly surprising that this uncer-
tainty caused great concern in rural Australia, and much effort went into
challenging the science rather than addressing the problem.
There are four broad strategies for recovering water for the environment:
•
take it, by unilaterally reducing allocations, without compensation
•
buy it, by providing compensation or purchase on the open market
•
save it, by improving infrastructure to reduce transmission and
measurement losses
•
close dilapidated systems.
The new National Water Initiative will recover water for the environ-
ment. This requires sorting out the water market, and then introducing an
