1. Australia's national water policy is being driven by the National Water Initiative (NWI) and a range of inter-governmental agreements and reforms that give effect to the priorities outlined in the NWI. Copy available here.

A number of government programs are being established to stimulate investment in on-farm water efficiency, system-wide water management and the collection and management of water usage data.

The clarification of property rights and the establishment of a national water market are key elements of the reform program.

Water purchases from willing sellers has been the priority area of focus for the past 2-3 years as Governments, both Federal and State seek to boost environmental water availability.

On-farm water efficiency programs have demonstrated significant gains in water use efficiency and productivity gains.  Some of these programs have been funded by government, others have been the result of industry or individual initiative.

2. Georgia Water Contingency Planning Task Force

In response to the July 2009 ruling by Judge Magnuson that declared water supply from Lake Lanier to be an unauthorized use of these resources, Governor Sonny Perdue implemented a 4 prong strategy to address the immediate challenge created by the Judge's ruling.

This strategy encompassed:

• continuing negotiations with Alabama and Florida;
• appealing Judge Magnuson's ruling;
• seeking Congressional support to re-authorize Lake Lanier; and
• establishing a Water Contingency Planning Task Force

The role of the Task Force was to develop and explore options to offset the impact of the Judge's ruling should it take effect in July 2012.  Longer-term planning will still be undertaken under the auspices of the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan and the recently established Regional Water Planning Councils.

The Task Force's final report to Governor Perdue can be downloaded here.

3. Georgia Regional Water Planning

Draft initial plans from Georgia's ten regional water planning councils have recently been adopted by the Georgia Environmental Protection Dvision.  These plans are a comprehensive study of the specific circumstances in each region and identify a wide-range of management plans to ensure sustainability of water supplies and quality over the next 40 years.  Copies can be downloaded from here.

4. Australia's Murray-Darling Basin Plan

This planning process has been very fractured over the past 12-18 months and is currently a very politically contentious process.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has new leadership and is currently undertaking extensive community and industry consultation on its draft Basin Plan.