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.

The Australian government has regulated foreign investment since 1975. This draft report presents the Commission’s preliminary analysis and views on the rationales for the Register of Foreign-owned Water Entitlements, its effectiveness, costs and benefits, and possible improvements, for both its current and future forms.

In August 2019, the ACCC was directed to conduct an inquiry into markets for tradeable water rights in the Murray–Darling Basin. This report makes recommendations to enhance markets for tradeable water rights, including their operation, transparency, regulation, competitiveness and efficiency.

In discussions about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, one key reform has been consistently underestimated - separation of water title from land, and its subsequent tradability. This discussion paper notes that governments across the Murray-Darling Basin need to work out what they are aiming for from the current reform process.

The Australian Government established the Register of Foreign Ownership of Water Entitlements (the Register) in 2017. The primary aim of the Register is to increase transparency about foreign ownership of Australian water assets and, more broadly, maintain community confidence in Australia’s foreign investment policy. This issues paper has been released to assist individuals and organisations...