Adaptable and Secure Water Supplies

Security of water supplies is an urgent and nationally significant issue for urban, regional and rural areas. To date, urban areas have largely addressed security of water supplies, in the short term, by water restrictions and in the long term by diversification in supply. However, water quality in our regional towns may not be meeting health standards and security of supply is still a major challenge.

New approaches are necessary as Australia faces an overall reduction in the reliability of traditional sources of water; dams, rivers, and groundwater.

Infrastructure Australia initiated two reviews to investigate urban water security and regional town's water quality and security.

While the challenges in urban areas are significant, they are being addressed. Infrastructure Australia notes that Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane and South-East Queensland all have major developments under way to secure water supplies.

Best practices in pricing, independent regulation, and diversifying potable water sources are being applied by some jurisdictions. While pricing and regulatory reforms can be challenging, they and other reforms need consistent application across Australia in order to provide incentives for the efficient use of water and investment in urban water assets.

The National Water Initiative provides a sound framework for pursuing urban and regional water reform as well as for trading in water rights in an environmentally sustainable way. However there is a need for jurisdictions to accelerate the implementation of already agreed reforms.

In regional areas, water quality and security of supply can be improved and Infrastructure Australia has developed a plan to address the highest priorities.

Infrastructure Australia is participating in the Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Urban Water (http://pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/urban-water) as a means of building the case for reform in urban and regional areas and a broad base of support for its implementation.

Regional Towns Water Quality and Security Review

Infrastructure Australia engaged AECOM to help identify opportunities to improve Australia's regional towns' water quality and security and to form practical recommendations for change at the federal, state and local government levels.

The report is available below.

• Report from the Regional Towns Water Quality and Security Review - Volume 1 [PDF: 1942 KB]

• Report from the Regional Towns Water Quality and Security Review - Volume 2 [PDF: 1917 KB]

• Media Release: Regional Towns Water Quality and Security Review [PDF: 36 KB]

Public submissions were invited in January 2011.

To view the submissions that were received, please click here.

Urban Water Security

Infrastructure Australia engaged PriceWaterhouseCoopers to help identify opportunities to enhance existing urban water supply security strategies and to form practical recommendations for change.

Infrastructure Australia is now developing a plan of action to respond to the findings and recommendations in the PriceWaterhouseCoopers report. The report is available below.

• Review of Urban Water Security Strategies [PDF: 1609 KB]

• Water Corporation submission [PDF: 1155 KB]

• Water Services Association of Australia submission [PDF: 80 KB]

Further submissions were received from parties that requested that their submissions be kept confidential.