The Report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, conducted under the auspices of the State Water Strategy, initiated a significant water reform agenda in Western Australia, particularly in the following areas:
- Enhancing the value of water entitlements
- Facilitating water trading
- Improving management controls through water metering
- Recovering water resource management costs
- Driving water use efficiency
- Increasing self-management
- Improving the protection of agricultural land through the integration of land and water planning
In each of the above areas the starting point is the Government Response to the Irrigation Review Final Report. The reform agenda has been given greater urgency and direction with Western Australia's signing of the National Water Initiative in April 2006. The Government has charged a Water Reform Implementation Committee with coordinating the implementation reform agenda, which must now take into account and give effect to the relevant directions contained within the National Water Initiative.
The Government has also committed to the development of a State Water Plan and Regional Water Plans and these provide important directions for Water Reform Program.
In early July 2006, the Water Reform Implementation Committee will issue a Consultation Paper and a series of detailed directions papers that will provide the basis for extensive stakeholder and community consultation. Regional workshops will be held throughout Western Australia in July and August 2006.
The Water Reform Implementation Committee will provide its final advice on these matters to the Government by the end of 2006 to enable those matters that require legislative amendment to be incorporated into the legislative reform program proposed for 2007-08.
