A new National Water Initiative, now under discussion, is likely to give priorities to climate change and Indigenous knowledge.
The first National Water Initiative was established in 2004 and drew together broad water management policies for the states and Commonwealth.
Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said she hoped the new agreement will prioritise climate change and a voice for First Nations people.
The discussion paper released by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water reflects these thoughts.
Although the discussion paper is labelled “not government policy”, the 20-page report sets out the agenda for discussions and contains some strong, anonymous opinions on where the National Water Initiative should go.
“Since the NWI’s inception, the effects of climate change have intensified, leading to less predictable and more extreme weather patterns,” the paper notes.
“Longer and hotter droughts, devastating bushfires, increasing rainfall intensity leading to flash flooding and extreme floods are putting more pressure on the environment and water-dependent ecosystems.
“Agricultural and energy sectors continue to expand, requiring more water for irrigation and power generation.”
The paper outlines seven proposed objectives which could form the basis for a new agreement.
Five of the seven objectives refer to the rights of First Nations peoples.
One objective is solely devoted to a water management framework, underpinned by national and international human rights principles, which recognises and protects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultural, spiritual, social, environmental and economic water interests and values.
Objective seven deals with the efficient use of water and the rights of entitlement holders, and references the advantages of ethical trading.
In the paper there is only one specific reference to irrigation and one reference to food production, although there are some mentions of “productive use” and “economic activity”.
The Commonwealth will be seeking to bring all the states together to agree on a new initiative, although it was unable to do so in the most recent amendments to the laws governing recovery of water for the Murray-Darling system.
The discussion paper is available at: Consultation hub | Seeking views on a future national water agreement - Climate (converlens.com)
Submissions may be submitted by Friday, May 3.