Environmental water management

The National Water Initiative recognises the integrated management of environmental water as a key area of importance. The National Water Initiative requires effective and efficient management and institutional arrangements to be in place to ensure the achievement of environmental outcomes. This includes:

• the establishment of accountable and well resourced environmental water managers who have the ability to participate in water markets
• the trading of water and utilisation of market based mechanisms for the recovery of water for environmental outcomes
• an agreement to give statutory recognition to, and at least the same level of security as other water access entitlements, to environmental water

While the current arrangements under the National Water Initiative have made substantial contributions to water management, current progress suggests that the objectives of the National Water Initiative are unlikely to be met without a significant intervention.

• National Water Initiative

If over-allocation and over-use in the Murray-Darling Basin are not addressed now river health, the environment and other public amenity values will be severely impacted.

• Environmental flows
• River health