This report assesses the progress of the Australian, State and Territory governments since 2017 towards achieving the objectives and outcomes of the National Water Initiative (NWI). It also provides practical advice to governments on future directions for national water reform through renewal of the NWI.

This report argues for cap-and-trade approaches to the management of New Zealand's fresh water.

This publication provides an overview of the economic effects of water recovery on water prices and the irrigation sector in the southern Murray–Darling Basin. The analysis uses economic modelling to separate the effects of water recovery from seasonal variations in rainfall and water supply, along...

This inquiry concerns the National Water Initiative (NWI) — a 2004 intergovernmental agreement between the Australian government and all State and Territory governments. It is the Productivity Commission’s second national water reform inquiry, with the first undertaken in 2017.

This report used publicly accessible information to examine the impact of coal mining and coal-fired power generation on water in New South Wales and Queensland.

Australia has spent more than $6 billion to reallocate water to environmental purposes. Most of this money has subsidised infrastructure, despite its lack of cost-effectiveness. This article highlights four key lessons on how to respond to these water governance challenges.

Some of the Murray Darling Basin’s best managed waterways would be damaged by water infrastructure projects that benefit major corporate irrigators, according to this report.

This report documents the final review of the National Partnership Agreement on Implementing Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin (the NPA). Clause 34 of the NPA requires that it be reviewed with regard to progress made by the parties in achieving the agreed outcomes 12...

This report argues that water conservation is the best option to reduce rising water stress, but is not viable in many instances. Other options, such as desalination, managed aquifer recharge and water recycling could reduce pressure on water sources, but are unlikely to prevent an...

This document presents findings from a two-year-long project that examined how well public organisations are currently managing water resources and delivering water-related services for the benefit of New Zealanders.

The ACT’s 4-yearly State of the Environment reporting is a requirement of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act 1993. The report provides the ACT community and government with commentary and analysis about the condition of the environment and progress towards sustainability.

This research report shows that the Murray-Darling Basin's new Inspector General, former AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty, has ignored key issues in his first annual report on the Northern Basin.

Climate change has made Perth's winters drier and summers hotter and, combined with urban and population growth, has dramatically affected Perth's water resources. This plan sets targets to respond to the major impacts of climate change on water resources and liveability to support the 3.5...

The ACCC’s ninth annual Water Monitoring Report has found hotter and drier-than-average weather has led to reduced water availability and higher prices for tradeable water products in 2017–18, placing pressure on water users in the Murray–Darling Basin.

This paper develops a pilot model which demonstrates the potential to use agent based modelling to evaluate the potential level of success of potential future water conservation programs or identify ways to improve the adoption existing programs.

This report argues that catchment-level cap-and-trade systems for water abstraction, incorporating both urban and rural water uses, are the best approach for New Zealand to manage water supplies in catchments where water is becoming scarce.

The Australia Institute has released analysis of official responses to the 'Watergate' scandal surrounding Murray Darling water purchases, covered by The Project, Guardian and other media outlets.

Outlines the main features of Australia’s water markets and details key factors influencing water prices in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Drought, the Menindee fish kills and the South Australian Royal Commission have put the Murray Darling firmly in the public spotlight. The management of the northern Basin and the role of the cotton industry are central to ongoing policy debate.

This report reveals the countries where the most people live with physical water scarcity, how ballooning customer demands jeopardise water access for the poorest and most marginalised people, and how making thoughtful choices as consumers can help ensure access to water for basic needs is...

The Commissioner, Professor Kate Auty, provided the report: The Heroic and the Dammed – Lower Cotter Catchment Restoration Evaluation, to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage on 20 December 2018. It was tabled in the Legislative Assembly and released on 14 February 2019. The...

The Modelling the Uptake of Water Conservation and Efficiency Measures in Sydney report team worked with Sydney Water’s WaterFix Program to validate their agent based, decision-making model aimed at encouraging consumers to participate in water saving programs.

The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has reviewed how we share costs between rural water customers1 and the NSW Government (on behalf of other users and the broader community) when setting maximum prices for the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation’s (WAMC’s) water management services and...

South Australia's Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin Plan has handed down its final report. The year-long investigation was prompted by allegations of water theft by cotton farmers in New South Wales.

This report outlines how Pakistan continues to experience acute water scarcity, largely driven by drought and intensive agriculture. The author argues that there are few effective channels to mitigate the water crisis and Pakistani governance is lacking.