Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Murray Cod, but the populations have dwindled and now appear to be iso-
lated communities. There are no reputable ecologists saying the river is in
good health, and those that have years of experience on the river are greatly
concerned about its health. Even returning 1500 GL to the river gives only a
moderate chance of giving us a healthy river, but unless we do this, we can
expect it to deteriorate further.
The water reform agenda of 1994
The reforms started in 1994 when the then Prime Minister and State Pre-
miers agreed, under the auspices of the Council of Australian Governments
(COAG), to a series of major reforms that were designed to develop a more
competitive water industry and, through annual payments from the
National Competition Council, provide significant financial rewards for
States that achieved various changes.
The 1994 COAG water reforms encompassed natural resource manage-
ment, pricing, rigorous approaches to future investment, water trading,
allocations of water to the environment, institutional reform, environ-
mental improvements and improved public consultation. Some of these
reforms have been implemented but, in general, achievements have so far
been modest (see Table 6.3). And while some of the
economic
benefits of
these reforms have been achieved, the
environmental
benefits are so far
much less obvious.
COAG emphasised the importance of addressing both efficiency and sus-
tainability in water services and water resource management. The reforms
cover many aspects of the water industry, including institutional arrange-
ments for regulation, management and service provision, water allocations
and entitlements, water pricing, environmental protection and community
input into decision-making. The main principles in the reforms as they
affect environmental outcomes include:
•
pricing based on the principles of consumption-based pricing, full-
cost recovery and transparency or removal of cross-subsidies
•
future investment in new schemes, or extensions to existing schemes,
to be undertaken only after appraisal indicates it is economically
viable and ecologically sustainable
•
comprehensive systems of water allocations or entitlements, backed
by separation of water property rights from land title and clear
