Today the National Water Commission (NWC) launched Urban Water in Australia: Future Directions to promote reform in the urban water sector. The Commission’s report found that while the initial set of national urban water reforms have been beneficial, they are not fully suited to Australia’s climatic conditions and other new challenges and opportunities. The Commission found that government intervention in the response to the recent prolonged drought has created ongoing institutional uncertainty about the roles and responsibilities of those involved in urban water management. The report identified other inefficiencies in the mix of policies commonly aimed at managing supply security such as water restrictions, regulatory targets and water pricing. In addition, the emergence of recycling and other integrated water management solutions has created challenges for water quality regulation and broader uncertainty about the roles of water suppliers in contributing to the liveability of Australian cities.
Frontier (Australia) was contracted to assist the NWC in the preparation of the final report and has advised the NWC under contract on many aspects of water reform since 2005.
For more information, please contact Marita O’Keeffe at m.okeeffe@frontier-economics.com.au or call +61 (0)3 9620 4488.
