A Discussion Paper Water Resources Management Options has been prepared by the Department of Water at the request of the Water Minister Dr Graham Jacobs.
The paper discusses the reasoning behind modernising legislation governing Western Australia's water resource management and the options available.
Some of the options arise from commitments Western Australia has made as a signatory to the National Water Initiative, but extend to addressing the impediments under current legislative arrangements to effective water resource management.
Proposed reform is being discussed to provide certainty to major water resource sectors including:
Industry - Certainty of the commercial availability of water for ongoing business
Domestic consumer - Certainty of the availability of quality water for drinking and domestic purposes
Environment and ecology - Certainty of the preservation of water dependent environments for biodiversity, preservation, water quality and enjoyment
The legislative options discussed:
- Improve allocation processes to ensure equity and surety for all
- Improve regulation of large commercial users
- Allow for economic certainty
- Protect the environment
- Ensure against theft and destruction of common water resources by poor allocation or management.
Some key aspects of proposed management reform in regard to modernising the allocation system and improving economic certainty in water scarce scenarios include:
- Entitlements based on good science and transparent management
- Licensed volumes matched to the available supply
- Ongoing or perpetual entitlements
- Ensuring community needs are central to allocation planning including protection of drinking water quality, the environment, quality of life, recreation and the sustainability of the natural and built environments.
- Security of total water resources by law.
The paper also discusses how the exercise of commercial entitlements may be governed and regulated by:
- Risk management
- Environmental water management
- Protection of water quality
- Dealing with water interceptions
- Improvements in water trading allowing for more commercial activity in the buying and selling of water entitlements
- Appropriate water charges.
A copy of the discussion paper can be downloaded here in PDF format.