Jennifer Mckay,Ganesh Keremane,Zhifang Wu, Centre for Comparative Water Policies and Laws, , jennifer.mcKay@unisa.edu.au
Abstract
Many countries around the world consider effective water plans as imperative to overcome allocation issues, provide for consumptive, environmental and other purposes, and provide management arrangements, including the establishment of water trading rules. Compared to rest of the world, the Australian approach to water planning is extensive and pervasive and focuses on achieving ecologically sustainable development. Australia is well advanced in a system of water plans that are informed by the best available science, socioeconomic analysis and community input and determines how we share valuable water resources between competing uses. These are also part of broader natural resources management schemes which have been sponsored by Council of Australian Government (COAG) reforms. One of the highlights of these policy reforms is the regional delivery model which demands the water users, interest groups and the general community to participate in the planning processes. But this task is complex and achieving it requires among other things, high level of social capital –trust and linkages. In this study, we surveyed water planners across Australia to understand their attitudes and perceptions regarding current water resource management policy and the regulatory processes, particularly achieving integration of the seven principles of ecologically sustainable development.
Keywords: Water planning, ecologically sustainable development (ESD), collective action; trust