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Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project

December 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm · Filed under news and events, related research and tagged: , , , , ,

The final report from the CSIRO Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project has now been released by the Australian Government. The project is the most detailed study of water availability in the Murray Darling Basin, and was the biggest research contract at $11 million ever undertaken by the CSIRO.

The key findings from the report are:

  • Total flow at the Murray mouth has been reduced by 61 per cent and the river now ceases to flow through the mouth 40 per cent of the time, compared with one per cent in the absence of water resource development;
  • The median decline for the entire Basin is projected to be 11 per cent by 2030 – nine per cent in the north and 13 per cent in the south;
  • Under the median 2030 climate, diversions in driest years would fall by more than 10 per cent in most New South Wales regions, 20 per cent in the Murrumbidgee and Murray regions, and from around 35 per cent to 50 per cent in the Victorian regions;
  • Under the dry extreme 2030 climate, diversions in driest years would fall by around 40-50 per cent in New South Wales regions, over 70 per cent in the Murray, and 80-90 per cent in major Victorian regions;
  • By 2070 the median climate under high global warming is expected to be broadly similar to the dry extreme 2030 climate; and
  • Current groundwater use is unsustainable in seven of the 20 high-use groundwater areas in the Basin and will lead to major drawdowns in groundwater levels in the absence of management intervention.

Download the reports from the Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project…

Related Links

Australian Government Sustainable Yields Website

National Water Commission’s Sustainable Yields Profile

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Red Tape Preventing Sustainable Water Use

November 11, 2008 at 10:03 am · Filed under related research and tagged: , , , , , ,

A new report released by the University of New England (UNE) has found government bureaucracy is preventing improvements in the use of water in Australia.

The inter-governmental National Water Initiative was created in 2004 to provide a simplified approach to water management.

But UNE researchers have found too much red tape is stifling sustainable water practices in regional and rural communities.

Dr Jacqueline Williams says there are too many government policies and they need to be reformed.

She says there needs to be a system that harmonises the market and regulatory instruments.

The results of the study, which was funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures, are presented in a report titled “Transaction costs and water reform: the devils hiding in the details”.

Download the report here…

External Links

ABC News Report

UNE Media Release

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Risk Assessments for Tropical Rivers

October 8, 2008 at 11:28 am · Filed under phase two, related research and tagged: , , ,

Ecological risk assessments for Australia’s Northern Tropical Rivers

Sub project 2 of Australia’s Tropical Rivers – an integrated data assessment and analysis

Authors: R Bartolo, P Bayliss and R van Dam

Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, 2008

Download the report

Summary:

Australia’s tropical river systems are unique and form one of the last great river networks in less-impacted condition in the world today. Together, they constitute an internationally significant asset. However, increasing pressure on water supply and river systems in southern Australia is driving strong interest in the potential for greater use for agriculture of the perceived abundant water resources in northern Australia. The existence of substantial mineral and energy resources in this region will further add to development pressures over the next 10-20 years.

To achieve sustainable development and growth in northern Australia, utilisation of the water resources of our tropical rivers will need to be balanced with providing appropriate protection of the riverine and wetland ecosystems, and the many benefits they provide to society. For this vision of sustainable development to be effectively realised, a better understanding of the aquatic ecosystems is required. However, these ecosystems have yet to be studied in a systematic manner. Across the Australian tropics it is generally only those catchments with existing mining, urban, or intensive agricultural development that have specific information available on ecology, biology, geomorphology, hydrology and management requirements. Consequently, the available information is fragmented and insufficient for addressing the management needs of the future.

Although the existing biophysical information base for the Northern Tropical Rivers is known to be limited (relative to the size of the region), agricultural and mining development is already occurring and future opportunities are being actively and strategically explored on a northern Australian scale. Consequently, there is a need to assess the risks to aquatic ecosystems now, based on the best available information, rather than waiting until additional biophysical, socio-cultural and economic data have been collected. Moreover, it is an appropriate time to be exploring methods and tools for assessing risk of current development and future development scenarios, including dealing with the uncertainties associated with limited data and knowledge.

This study, Ecological risk assessments for Australia’s Northern Tropical Rivers, builds on recent efforts to develop ecological risk assessment approaches for Australia, and applies some of these at various spatial scales across the Northern Tropical Rivers study area, thus providing some initial risk estimates for key pressures and threats to specific ecological assets.

Download the report

More information on the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project (TRIAP)

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International River Symposium

September 3, 2008 at 3:32 pm · Filed under presentations and tagged: , , , , ,

Two researchers from the Collaborative Water Planning Project are presenting the key findings on risk and community participation for water planning at this week’s 11th International Riversymposium – an event held as part of Brisbane’s Riverfestival.

More Seats, More Tables: Methods for enhancing public participation in water planning & management

John Mackenzie

The proliferation of tools, tool-kits and tool-boxes for community participation presents a series of dilemmas for contemporary water management practioners looking to engage the community in water management. How are we to decide which approach is right for different circumstances, different planning needs and with different sectors of the community? This presentation explores the development of a fit-for-purpose framework for community participation, which attempts to outline how to select from the range of engagement approaches available based on needs assessment and adaptive management methodologies.

The Risk in Water Planning

Claudia Baldwin & Mark Hampstead

Water planning is a key means of achieving the objectives of Australia’s National Water Initiative and one of the most important tools for achieving sustainable use of water. It is also a critical vehicle for consideration of climate variability and climate change in planning and managing for future use and environmental protection. This paper draws from our review of water allocation planning in Australia, undertaken for National Water Commission in the latter half of 2007. The review gathered information from documents, planners and stakeholders to identify best practices and lessons learned. Eleven case studies from States and the Northern Territory were used to illustrate the strengths and challenges of planning processes in delivering desired outcomes. The focus in this paper is on how governments in Australia have addressed climate variability and climate change in water planning to date. We review current approaches to managing climate risks and suggest a range of options for responding to this challenge within the water planning framework. In doing so, we explore risk assessment, future scenario development, contingency planning and adaptive management and highlight the role for transparency, public involvement, and assessment of possible impacts through this process.

About The International RiverSymposium

The International Riversymposium is part of Riverfestival – Brisbane’s community and environmental festival celebrating our waterways and culture by focusing on the city’s signature natural landmark, the Brisbane River. The festival is 10 days of a diverse program at the start of spring with music, visual arts, film, forums, education projects, dining, culture, large-scale free outdoor events and recreation.

More on the Riversymposium…

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