Archived Industry News for Water Professionals

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that the country faces slipping back into the El Nino weather pattern, which will produce similar drought conditions that ravished the country during the summer of 2009.

The Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) has announced it will support the formation of a single water and sewerage corporation in the state, subject to agreement by the State and set to a number of requirements associated with its governance.

The Queensland Urban Utilities Board has announced the company is committed to a price freeze for the 2012/13 year.

The Tasmanian Government has released the results from the state’s latest round of chemical testing of Tasmania’s rivers and streams.

The New South Wales Government has announced a budgetary spend of over $650 million over the next financial year to renew Sydney Water’s critical infrastructure and expand into new urban growth areas.

The New South Wales Government has announced the formation of a new Independent Water advisory Panel responsible for providing expert advice on securing long-term water supplies for the Lower Hunter.

Water buybacks are the most cost effective method of restoring environmental flows to the ailing Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), according to new research.

Economic modelling by Dr Glyn Wittwer and Dr Janine Dixon from Monash University’s Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) found money allocated to infrastructure upgrades would be better spent on investment in regional services.

Dr Wittwer said contrary to claims that buybacks would have a severe negative impact on MDB communities, the modelling found only small impacts on regional economies.

“Voluntary buybacks provide a financial option which farmers have embraced, selling over 1300 GL of water to the Commonwealth to date,” Dr Wittwer said.

The research found calls to roll back the buyback scheme and invest more heavily in infrastructure were at odds with the economic modelling. Investment in infrastructure was found to cost up to five times more per unit of water than buybacks.

“The attraction of upgrades to irrigation infrastructure is that they compensate the region with additional high security water. Even during drought, when water is more valuable, the upgrades were too costly,” Dr Wittwer said.

“There appears to be broad acceptance in the community to sink substantial funds into the MDB, but is that best way to spend the money?”

When compared to irrigation improvements, the model found every dollar invested in regional services would have three to four times the impact on jobs in the MDB.  For a fraction of the cost of irrigation upgrades, the same environmental outcome could be achieved by extending the buyback scheme.

“The message from the modelling is clear. Buybacks are the best way to achieve environmental flows,” Dr Wittwer said.

“Compared to infrastructure upgrades, investment in regional services is a superior form of regional support with three to four times the impact on jobs.”

The full report can be downloaded from the CoPs website.

The Federal Government has announced $469 million in funding to support four major new infrastructure projects in New South Wales.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia will investigate the use of geothermal energy to desalinate groundwater in WA.

The Federal Government has announced a $4 million investment to support the adoption of the eWater ‘Source’ platform to aid and streamline water planning and management across the country.

A visiting academic at the UNSW Water Research Lab, Dr Denis O’Carroll, believes that iron nanoparticles encapsulated in a rust-preventing polymer coating could hold significant potential for cleaning up groundwater contaminated with toxic chemicals.

The Western Australian Govenrment has announced a pilot project in the state’s Wheatbelt region that will aim to turn run-off stormwater into a useable resource.

The NSW Legislative Council’s State Development Committee has received terms of reference for an inquiry into the adequacy of water storages in NSW.

The Queensland Government has announced it is ‘closely examining all options’ on the future of the state’s Tugun Desalination Plant  in a bid to save taxpayer losses on the $1.2 billion project.

The South Australian Government has announced the state is offering up to 20 billion litres of water to be sold to the Federal Government for use as environmental flow.

The Western Australian Government has announced an extra $28 million in funding to investigate priority groundwater sources in a bid to keep up with the state’s rapidly expanding water demand.

The Western Australian Government has announced new appointments for the South-West’s two regional water service suppliers, Busselton Water and Aqwest.

The South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department for Water will form a single agency after the State Government handed down its 2012-13 Budget.

The Victorian Government is urging the public to submit their comments on the future of the state’s water management fter a number of the sate’s water aurthorities released consultation papers on their draft water plans.

Legislation to establish an independent expert scientific committee to provide advice on impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining proposals on our water resources has passed the House of Representatives.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said the legislation would allow for more rigorous scientific assessment of coal seam gas and large coal mining proposals, in particular how these proposals will affect underground water resources and our rivers.

"I know that there is significant community concern about the impact of coal seam gas and coal mining developments on our water resources," Mr Burke said.

"That's why the Gillard Government has acted to create The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development.

"We want to make sure that decisions by governments in relation to coal and coal seam gas developments are informed by the most rigorous scientific evidence available, in particular where those developments are likely to have a significant impact on water.

"The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development will play a vital role in ensuring that independent scientific advice is available to all governments when they consider applications for these types of developments.

"In this way, we have established the independent committee and we have funded it.

"It will provide local communities and other stakeholders with accessible and reliable information as well as giving the coal seam gas and mining industries greater guidance on the sustainable management of water resources in areas where they propose developments."

An interim committee was set up in January pending formal establishment of the Independent Expert Scientific Committee. The interim committee has already provided valuable independent advice to the Australian Government and will continue until it hands over to the new committee from 1 July, 2012.

The legislation, which amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to set up the committee, will now be introduced into the Senate.

Mr Burke said the committee would provide advice on research priorities that address critical gaps in scientific understanding, and oversee research commissioned by myself in line with those research priorities.

"When requested, the committee will provide further evidence to inform regulatory decisions made by governments," Mr Burke said.

"It will provide advice on options for increasing the quality and accessibility of knowledge available on the impacts to water resources from coal seam gas and large coal mining developments, for example, in the collection of data.

"The committee's work will be supported by a national partnership agreement with relevant state and territory governments that will require them to seek and take account of the committee's advice when considering approvals for coal seam gas and large coal mining developments.

"So far Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia have signed the agreement – negotiations with Victoria and the Northern Territory are continuing."

Mr Burke said the committee would also provide advice on the priority areas for bioregional assessments and oversee their delivery. The interim committee has started work on the first five bioregional assessments in regions facing significant levels of coal seam gas and coal mining developments, such as the Galilee, Gunnedah, Gloucester and Clarence-Moreton basins.

The Australian Government has provided $200 million to establish the new Independent Expert Scientific Committee and assist states that are parties to the national partnership agreement to introduce the necessary reforms to seek the committee's advice when deciding on coal seam gas and coal mining applications.

For more information visit www.environment.gov.au/coal-seam-gas-mining.