presentacion david downie crh senado.pdf
Post on 26-Sep-2015
230 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
Governance and Institutional Frameworks David Downie Strategic Advisor Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University
-
Australia Annual Rainfall
-
Forecast of Total Inflows in the Murray System Over next 50 Years
-
Irrigated Agriculture in Australia
70-80% of water use
0.4% land irrigated, 99.6% non irrigated
25% gross value of agriculture
Agriculture 3% GDP
- 22% total exports ($33.6b)
Irrigation mainly in MDB
Typical crops are (NSW) rice, cotton, (Vic) dairy less than 20% on horticulture, viticulture, permanent plantings
-
Water Supply and Use
-
Irrigated Agriculture Financial Return on Water Input
Aim to have prosperous irrigated agriculture
For secure future, rivers must be healthy:
More production from less water
Reduce salinity & nutrient side-effects
-
Water Management History
Prior to the 1980s, water management was largely conducted by local authorities, with separate trusts being responsible for water delivery and sewerage services
Strong connections to municipal councils
Victoria, geographically small with a relatively low population, had around 370 regional water authorities, yet no overarching integrated policy and planning body
Melbournes water supply was managed by the MMBW, with rural supply managed by the State Rivers Commission
-
Recent Water Industry Reform
1980 Public Bodies Review Committee (Victorian Parliament) 1983 Water & Sewerage Authorities (Restructuring) Act
370 authorities restructured to 105 water boards, 7 sewerage authorities and 43 municipalities with water supply functions
1989 Water Act Statutory rights to water (continued) Decision making in hands of Minister not bureaucracy Consultation processes for Ministerial decisions Bulk water entitlements Water trading at bulk and retail levels Separation of service delivery from policy and regulation Corporate planning processes, Waterway management functions, Environment considerations
-
Reform Water Authorities
Replaced local government and large Metro Authorities with expert Boards (with regional ties) Built capability (large regional authorities) with appropriate
people financial muscle, and knowledge and skills
Self funding through water prices allowed authorities to Cover operation and maintenance Look after assets, and Source money to grow business
Focus on customer and commercial service delivery Clarified roles, responsibilities and incentives
-
Water Industry Reform Key Events
1990s Water Act implementation progresses (first bulk water entitlement for Goulburn irrigation system, water markets grow)
1993 Reforming Victorias Water Industry - a Competitive Future
RWC split into 5 regional RWAs
139 bodies amalgamated to 15 regional authorities
MBW split up into headworks business and 3 retail businesses
1994 Water Industry Act 1994 introduced to regulate the operation of the new metropolitan retailers
2005 Water (Resource Management) Act
Environmental Water Reserve, Water Register, unbundling, reconfigure
2006 Water (Governance) Act
Addressed identified problems, clarified high and low value uses for water
-
Victorian Institutional Arrangements
-
Allocation and Management Entitlement Framework
Based on Secure Property Rights Water Act 1989 (Pt 4)
Sets out stakeholder engagement processes which must be followed if issuing/amending entitlements
Largely based on notifications, seeking submissions, considering submissions, panel if necessary & making decision with ability for disallowance (BEs) or review at VCAT (individual entitlements)
Licensing functions delegated to rural water corps & guided by policies: see: http://waterregister.vic.gov.au/Public/Documents/Policies-for-Managing-Take-and-Use-Licences.pdf
-
For Trading, Need Meters, Penalties
Maximum Penalties for Stealing Water:
1st Offence: $7,000 fine or 6 months jail
2nd Offence: $14,000 fine or 12 months jail
Accurate meters, remote-controlled gates
Old meters, manual gates - need to order four days in advance
-
Unbundling Water Rights
Mortgageable asset easier to trade able to be leased dont need land choice b/w high, low Obligation to pay can opt for more (e.g. if have drip irrigation) Standards can go up restrictions on water use
-
Victorian Water Register
The Water Register is a public register of all water-related entitlements in Victoria:
- bulk entitlements
- environmental entitlements
- water shares
- water licences
The Water Register:
- provides individual records
- key statistics of trades (water shares and allocations)
- trade forms and helps track trades
- is being used as the basis for the Australia-wide water register, under development to help facilitate interstate trade.
-
Planning Framework
Comprehensive stakeholder consultation at each level
Processes prescribed in Act for long-term assessment, sustainable water strategies, drought response plans
Obligations on water corps and CMAs to engage on their strategies.
15-YEARLong-term water resource assessment
Identify a permanent reduction in availability and appropriate response.
Could include permanent changes to entitlements.
10-YEAR
Regional sustainable water strategiesIdentify risks to water quantity/quality over next 50 years and
appropriate response. Includes urban use, rural use and environment.
Long term /
Strategic /
Consultative
Short term /
Responsive /
Unilateral
5-YEAR
Water supply-demand strategiesAssess urban supply/demand over 50 years.
Address shortfalls.
Regional river health strategiesEstablish objectives for rivers.
Set priorities to achieve these objectives.
1-YEAR
Drought response plans
Seasonal allocation / reserve policy
Environmental watering plans
Local management rules
Annual restrictions/bans and allocations.
Priorities for supply.
-
Sustainable Water Strategies Key Focus
Central Supply shortfalls in Melbourne & adjacent regional cities; improvements to river health
Northern Managing through drought
Gippsland Sustainable use;
protection of waterways
WSWS - Interception
-
Water Authorities
Water Authorities State Owned Water Corporations
Owned and regulated by Victorian Government Boards appointed by Government
Operate under commercial principles
-
Drought response -
infrastructure
In response to 2006 conditions, the previous government invested in
major infrastructure including:
Desalination plant (150+ GL p.a. [121,650 acre feet])
Expanding network of pipes and connections
Upgrading Northern Victorias irrigation system
-
Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (Modernising the GMID)
Bass Strait
425 GL in total savings - Improved Service Delivery/Renovation/Rationalisation
Stage 1: 225 GL for $1b ($100m irrigators)
Food Bowl farmers 75 GL p.a.
Environment 75 GL p.a.
Melbourne* 75 GL p.a.
Stage 2: 200 GL for $1b
State and Federal Investment
up to 100 GL for irrigators
up to 100 GL for environment
-
Victorian Water Grid
-
Lessons Learned in Australian Water Reform
Political Will
The will to reform must be accepted at a politically effective level. The economic importance of water and water related services at high standards and lowest possible cost must be recognised as a key national objective.
Government Role Policy / Legislative
Government must maintain ultimate control but retain only a policy/legislative role.
Reform Team
Government must establish a committed team of multi-disciplinary professionals AND key community stakeholders from outside the industry to set the framework to drive the reform (not existing water decision makers -but utilising their knowledge.) . Key champions of reform must be identified early and engaged in the effort.
Long Journey Over Many Electorial Cycles
Reform is a long journey or the battle will be lost in the early stages
-
Lessons Learned in Australian Water Reform (2)
Reform Ingredients Framework
The framework must cover:
Measurement and accounting for the resource (sometimes takes many years and can run alongside reform)
Statutory volumetric rights (capacity share) which are tradeable
Reserve powers should remain in the hands of most powerful politicians not bureaucrats
Extensive community consultation in all phases of development of the framework and finalisation of water rights
A statutory based register of all entitlement and allocation decisions
Water trading at bulk and retail levels as the means of allocating water not Government/Ministerial/bureaucratic orgs (including environmental water)
Institutional separation of policy ,service delivery and regulation (and customer complaints) for water supply ,sewerage ,waterway and catchment management functions (PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF ALL)
Creation of financially viable regional authorities to undertake service delivery with skill based Boards , performance reporting and community obligations to perform. These authorities are independently regulated to determine prices of monopoly and must be empowered to charge customers. Social programs should be run separately or the whole reform program will be lost.(viz. Apple does not provide subsidies)
Recognition of environmental standards , establishment of env. managers and the need for sustainability
Long run water supply planning involving the community is critical as climate variability and demand happens faster than you think.
-
Lessons Learned in Australian Water Reform (3)
Restrictions are for Emergencies Only
Restrictions are almost invariably economically expensive and do not benefit the environment. There is plenty of water and price is the only variablelet the market and the community determine if they want to pay more or conserve.
Mult-Tier Framework
There must be a nationally agreed framework agenda involving the commitment of national /regional and local governments to the broad agenda and direction.
top related