Talking Water Reform

Stuart A¹*

1. Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

In 1994 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) identified six areas where the Australian water industry needed improving. One area related to rural water pricing.

The price for rural irrigation water was to be reviewed by mid 2005.

The Queensland Premiers Taskforce on Rural Water Pricing agreed in 2002, that the review process should include early opportunities for stakeholders to make their views known. It recommended three phases:

Phase 1: Talking Water Reform
Phase 2: Policy Development.
Phase 3: Determination of pricing arrangements.

The concept was designed to provide an opportunity, in a participative and educative way, to engage stakeholders. It was also intended to build community capacity and increase the level of awareness and knowledge.

The process objective was to foster relationships and partnerships with community to build an understanding of the context and implications of water reform and identify issues for subsequent consideration for future rural water pricing policy development. Among other processes, staff from Natural Resources and Mines and Queensland Treasury met with approximately 1, 000 irrigators over a 12 month period.

Among the results from 98% of participant’s surveyed, 89% were satisfied there was a constructive exchange of views. The outcomes from Phase 1 were demonstrated in the second phase through a greater acceptance and understanding of the basis of water reform and a subsequent ‘mind shift’ to problem solving rather than intractable opposition. This paper is a case study of the first two phases – leading to the third phase.

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