Resilience and water security in two outback cities

• Glenn Albrecht, and others
• National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility

Read the full text

Report cover: Amanda Slater

14 February 2011Comparing water security issues in Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill, this report argues that the challenges of balancing water supply and growth are ongoing in both places and likely to become more severe with climate change.This report compares water security issues in two Australian mining communities. Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and Broken Hill in New South Wales are towns with populations of around 30,000 and 20,000 respectively in semi-arid environments with limited local water supplies. Each has a rich history based on mineral resources and, more recently, a developing tourism industry. The catalyst for development has been the exploitation of mineral resources (silver, zinc and lead in Broken Hill and gold in Kalgoorlie); this development has been constrained and tested by water limitations. Throughout the history of each town, the reaction to extreme dry periods and economic booms has been to develop new infrastructure and strategies to deliver more water and increase efficiencies. The challenges of balancing water supply and growth are ongoing and likely to become more severe with climate change.

Authors: Glenn Albrecht, Helen Allison, Neville Ellis and Megan Jaceglav.

Image: Amanda Slater, Report cover