Negotiating water : conflict resolution in Australian water management

Abstract

When the Australian nation was formed in 1901 as a voluntary federation, there was no external threat or bitterness towards the colonial power, Britain. The country was relatively free of many of the inherent sources of conflicts in Europe/for example a rigid class structure. This was reflected in the rise of the political power of labour during the 19th century. However, in stark contrast, colonial and early Australian attitudes to the natural environment and Aborigines were characterised by conflict and exploitation. The last two decades or so have seen these attitudes substantially overturned. This is part of a broad societal desire for more accountable or 'open' government and greater equity. Until the early 1980s, the relatively high per capita abundance of water caused little competition despite the profligate use. Conflict was limited to problems within the Murray-Darling basin, and more local disputes such as those in Perth and the Hunter Valley. The three best endowed states and territories each use less than 1.5 per cent of their mean annual supply. In contrast, South Australia utilises over 30 per cent. The major share of the utilised resource is for irrigation which consumes some 70 per cent of the national total, with about 50 per cent of all the nation's harvested water being used for irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin. Readily available, good quality water resources for the major conurbations are progressively becoming subject to increasing conflict. Another set of problems arises from the discharge of sewage effluent. These problems have progressively highlighted the need for water planning and emphasised the potential for increased use of techniques for conflict resolution. National trends in water planning and management include: the use of market mechanisms; 'corporatisation' of public service organisations; and the development of environmental and social concerns. Reaching agreement among the diversity of interests in water resources today is one of the greatest challenges facing all countries as they adapt to more sustainable development. The ability to avoid and resolve protracted conflict is central to success. This applies to the management of not only water but of all natural resources. More fundamentally, it applies to all aspects of government. It is for these reasons that this introduction begins by briefly examining the distinctive experience with conßict and its resolution in Australian society before focusing on water management in Australia. This establishes the context in which the following chapters analyse the strategies and recent experience in reaching agreement in the management of water and associated natural resources. Show more