Australian Water Management Review Vol 1 2010 | Page 32

Securing urban water supplies

All Premiers and Chief Ministers have
endorsed the model for a National Water
Market System. The new system will
include a common registry system or
system upgrades for all jurisdictions,
and a new national portal and interstate
processes to speed-up cross-border water
trades and cut transaction costs.

The Australian Government has
committed $1.5 billion towards a range
of initiatives towards securing urban
water supplies and to reduce reliance on
traditional rain-fed water sources.

For further information on Water for the
Future call 1800 218 478

Many of Australia’s cities and towns
are also facing some big challenges in
securing their water supplies as a result
of extended drought and projected growth
in demand. The already-emerging impacts
of climate change add further urgency to
this task.

or visit www.environment.gov.au/water

To date significant funding has been
directed to a number of wastewater
recycling, stormwater harvesting
and desalination projects around
the country. Funding has also been
made available to support individual
Australians in taking action to conserve
water resources by installing rainwater
tanks and greywater systems.
For example, a $3.3 million project in
Brisbane, the ‘South Bank Stormwater
Harvesting and Reuse Centre’ project, will
lead to about 77 megalitres per year in
water savings. Stormwater entering the
South Bank parklands from a surrounding
catchment, which would otherwise flow
into the river, will be intercepted and
treated for reuse on-site.

National Water Market System

Australia’s water market is being
strengthened through a $56 million
investment by the Australian Government
to develop a faster, more efficient and
nationally focused water market system.

Top: Carpark Lagoons in the Katarapko Floodplains SA prior to the environmental watering in
March 2009 (Mark Mohell & DEWHA)

This will address differences between
water registers in each state and territory,
and their varying capacity to inform the
market and support interstate water trade.

WATER

Above: Water tank (Michelle McAulay & DEWHA)

for the

Below: Carpark Lagoons in the Katarapko
Floodplains SA after the environmental watering
in March 2009 (Mark Mohell & DEWHA)

FUTURE

Preparing Australia for a future with less water
Water for the Future is the Australian Government’s 10-year, $12.9 billion initiative to prepare
Australia for a future with less water. Water for the Future is built on four key priorities:

•
•

taking action on climate change
using water wisely

•
•

securing water supplies
supporting healthy rivers and
wetlands

For more information visit www.environment.gov.au/water or call 1800 218 478

Water Management Review 2010