A ministerial group for Australia's future water needs

The Minister for Agriculture, Burnaby Joyce, has announced a ministerial working group set up to identify new infrastructure projects that can deliver on Australia’s water supply needs in the future. The first task of the group, established by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and chaired by Joyce, will be to identify priorities, investment and processes to fast-track development.

“This ministerial working group gives us the opportunity to priorities our water and infrastructure needs - both by upgrading existing infrastructure or building new infrastructure, and some of these are already in the pipeline,” he said.

Under the guidelines outlined by the Prime Minister, the ministerial working group will:

• Identify how investment in water infrastructure, such as dams, could be accelerated, including methods for assessing feasibility and cost benefit analysis of particular proposals, the role of Infrastructure Australia and financing.
• Identify priorities for investment in new or existing dams, including the merit of proposals already well developed and the productivity and/or economic benefits of new or existing dams.
• Outline how proposed approaches will improve the management of Australia’s water resources to support economic development, flood mitigation and respond to community and industry needs.
• Consider opportunities for groundwater storage (aquifers), water re-use and water efficiency to ensure investment in dams occurs where it is the most suitable solution.
• Take account of economic, social and environmental considerations, including consistency with National Water Initiative principles.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham, a member of the group, said Australia’s naturally variable climate means that we must look for new water infrastructure opportunities that are both innovative and sustainable.

"The ministerial working group brings together key areas of the government including infrastructure, water, agriculture and the environment to push forward the Prime Minister’s goal of building productive infrastructure for the future,” said Birmingham.

“This group will look at new dams as well as options like harvesting and storing water in underground aquifers to further boost the efficient and sustainable utilization of our water resources.”

The group has been welcomed by the Australian Water Association (AWAY), with Chief Executive Jonathan McKee saying it is a positive initiative of the Coalition Government to bring together the key areas of the government that can build a productive future for water infrastructure in Australia.

“The issue of deteriorating infrastructure in an environment of cost pressure, along with the need for increased operational efficiency, have long been key concerns for the water sector and we are pleased the government has put together practical steps in prioritizing infrastructure investment in Australia,” he said.

“According to AWAY/Deloitte State of the Water Sector Report research, the Australian water industry not only sees maintenance and augmentation of infrastructure as the top issue facing the industry, but also this issue was identified as being the least effectively addressed across the nation in regards to water in the 2013 report.

“As the association that represents water professionals across urban and rural sectors, we are particularly pleased that no one sector is being looked at in isolation. Further, we welcome the inclusion of the diversification of water supply options, including water re-use, efficiency and groundwater storage, as possible opportunities that the government will consider.”

The group will consult with state and territory governments to understand their priorities and how they can best work together. Its water infrastructure options paper will be developed by July 2014 so that its outcomes can be considered as part of the White Papers on Northern Australia and Agricultural Competitiveness