Institutional reform in environmental water management: The new Victorian Environmental Water Holder

Journal of Water Law

Volumn 22, Issue 2-3, 2011, Pages 73-84

  O'Donnell, Erin ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS; DECISION MAKING; GLOBAL CHANGE; INSTITUTIONAL REFORM; LEGAL SYSTEM; WATER MANAGEMENT;

AUSTRALIA; NEW SOUTH WALES;

EID: 84865146885     PISSN: 14785277     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (129)

1. United Nations Environment Programme 'About Freshwater' www.unep.org/Themes/Freshwater/About/index.asp.
2. United Nations 'Coal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability' website of the United Nations Millennium Development Coals www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ environ. shtml, Target 7. C.
3. Sarah Hendry 'Ownership Models for Water Services: Implications for Regulation' in Aileen McHarg et al Property and the Law in Energy and Natural Resources (Oxford University Press 2010).
4. Maude Barlow 'The World's Water: A Human Right or a Corporate Good?' in Bernadette McDonald and Donald Jehl (eds) Whose Water is it? The Unquenchable Thirst of a Water-hungry World (National Geographic Society 2003).
5. See the Australian examples discussed in section IV.2 below; see also examples such as The Freshwater Trust in Oregon, which uses a range of techniques to pay irrigators to return water to the river: The Freshwater Trust 'The streamflow solution' www.thefreshwatertrust.org/conservation/stream-flow/ the-solution.
6. See eg Lee Godden 'Water law reform in Australia and South Africa: sustainability, efficiency and social justice' (2005) 17 Journal of Environmental Law 2 181-205. (Pubitemid 41447429)
7. In 2005, South Australia established the River Murray Environmental Manager as part of the Natural Resource Management Board for the River Murray region (see Government of South Australia 'Save the River Murray Fund: Annual Report 2007-2008' (Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation 2009) 7
8. and New South Wales established Riverbank (NSW Government 'New South Wales RiverBank Business Plan Part A: Program Plan 2006-2011 Buying and managing water for the environment (2010 update)' (Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2010) followed by the establishment of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder in 2007.
9. Peter Cullen et al 'Blueprint for a Living Continent' (Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists 2002).
10. Michael Cathcart The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of our Dry Continent (The Text Publishing Company 2009) 199.
11. Daniel Connell Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin (Federation Press 2007).
12. Australian Broadcasting Corporation 'Fiery community meeting at Deniliquin over Basin Plan' www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2010 10/s3037350.htm?site=rural.
13. Douglas E Fisher 'Water resource governance and the law' (2006) 11 (1) The Australasian Journal of Natural Resources Law and Policy 3;
14. Douglas E Fisher 'Murray-Darling Basin Governance: the focus of the law' (2010) 21 Journal of Water Law 1 145.
15. One of the first examples was The Irrigation Act 1886 (Vic).
16. Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act s 100.
17. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 'Integrated water resource management in Australia' www.environment.gov. au/water/publications/action/case-studies/murray.html.
18. Eg Water Act 1989 (Vic) s 1 (b);
19. Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) s 3;
20. Water Act 2000 (Qld) s 10 (1);
21. Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (SA) s 7.
22. Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Communiqué (25 February 1994) Attachment A www.coag.gov. au/coag-meeting-outcomes/1994-02-25/docs/ attachment-a.cfm.
23. COAG 'Intergovernmental Agreement on a National Water Initiative' (Council of Australian Governments 2004).
24. State of Victoria 'Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009) 16.
25. Theage.com 'PM unveils $10 b plan for water' www.theage.com.au/ news/national/pm-unveils-10b-plan-for-water/2007/01/25/11695944 09364.html.
26. COAG Communiqué 'Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform' (3 July 2008) www.coag.gov. au/coag-meeting-outcomes/2008-07-03/ index.cfm#water.
27. Water Act 2007 (Cth) see particularly ss 9, 9A.
28. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Water for the future' www.environment.gov. au/water/australia/index. html.
29. Lee Godden 'Governing Common Resources: Environmental Markets and Property in Water' in McHarg et al Property and the Law (n 3) 413.
30. Daniel Fitzpatrick 'Evolution and chaos in property rights systems: the third world tragedy of contested access' (2006) 115 Yale Law Journal 996.
31. See eg Anthony Scott The Evolution of Resource Property Rights (Oxford University Press 2008) ch 3.
32. Douglas E Fisher 'Water law, the High Court and techniques of judicial reasoning' (2010) 27 Environmental and Planning Law Journal 92.
33. ICM Agriculture Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (2009) 84 ALJR 87 (Aus HC).
34. Samantha Hepburn 'Statutory verification of water rights: the 'insuperable' difficulties of propertising water entitlements' (2010) 19 Australian Property Law Journal 1 1.
35. Water Act 1989 (Vic).
36. State of Victoria 'Water trading in Northern Victoria 1991/92-2005/06' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2008) 34;
37. Victorian Water Register 'Water trade in Victoria 2009/10' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010).
38. Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999, in Victoria Government Gazette C24 (17 June 1999) 1421.
39. State of Victoria 'Victorian water accou nts 2008-2009' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010) 56.
40. State of Victoria 'Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009) 130.
41. Wafer Amendment (VEWH) Act 2010 (Vic).
42. For the consolidated legislation, refer to ss 33DA-33DZA of the Water Act 1989 (Vic).
43. Tim Holding, Minister for Water Parliamentary Debates (Parliament of Victoria Legislative Assembly 26 May 2010) 1920-22.
44. Office of Water 'Victorian Environmental Water Holder' www.water.vic.gov. au/environment/environmental-water-holder.
45. Eg the partnership approach outlined in the DSE annual environmental watering reports, available at Office of Water 'Environmental Flows' www.water.vic.gov. au/environment/rivers/flows.
46. Water Act 1989 (Vic) ss 33DB, 33DC
47. For details of the current Commissioners, please refer to Office of Water 'Victorian Environmental Water Holder Commissioners appointed' www.water.vic.gov. au/resources?a=114137.
48. This refers to the Minister with the environment portfolio, and is specified in s 3 of the Water Act 1989 (Vic)
49. as the Minister administering Part 4 of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic).
50. Wafer Act 1989 (Vic) s 33DS (2).
51. Tim Holding Parliamentary Debates (n 44) 1920.
52. Poh-Ling Tan 'Irrigators come first: Conversion of existing allocations to Bulk Entitlements in the Coulburn and Murray Catchments, Victoria' (2001) 18 (2) Environmental and Planning Law Journal 154 at 154-155.
53. COAC 'Intergovernmental agreement on a national water initiative' (Council of Australian Governments 2004).
54. Water (Resource Management) Act 2005 (Vic).
55. See eg Water For Rivers 'About Water For Rivers' www.waterfor rivers.org.au/;
56. Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project 'About the Project' www.nvirp. com.au/the-project/about1.aspx.
57. See eg NSW Government 'New South Wales RiverBank Business Plan Part A: Program Plan 2006-2011 Buying and managing water for the environment (2010 update)' (Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2010);
58. Water For Rivers 'About Water For Rivers' www.waterforrivers.org.au/;
59. and Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 'Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin www.environment.gov. au/water/policyprograms/entitlement-purchasing/index.html.
60. Anita Foerster 'Victoria's new Environmental Water Reserve: what's in a name?' (2007) 11 (2) Australasian Journal of Natural Resources Law and Policy p 145.
61. See eg State of Victoria 'Victorian Government White Paper: Securing Our Water Future Together' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2004) 18.
62. Water Act 2007 (Cth) s 3.
63. For a discussion of some of the economic efficiency arguments, please see Avril Home, John Freebairn and Erin O'Donnell 'Establishment of environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin - an analysis of two key policy initiatives' (2011) 15 (1) Australian journal of Water Resources 7.
64. Bulk Entitlement (River Murray - Flora and Fauna) Conversion Order 1999, in Victoria Government Gazette G24 17 June 1999, 1421.
65. State of Victoria 'Victorian Government White Paper: Securing Our Water Future Together' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2004) 44.
66. Water Act 2007 (Cth) s 105.
67. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 'Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin www.environment.gov. au/water/policy-programs/entitlement-purchasing/index.html.
68. State of Victoria 'Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009) ch 7.
69. OECD 'OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Chile' (OECD Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (2005).
70. See eg Sharon Pollard, Derick du Toit 'The Shared River Initiative Phase I: Towards the sustainability of freshwater systems in South Africa: An exploration of factors that enable or constrain meeting the Ecological Reserve within the context of Integrated Water Resources Management in the catchments of the lowveld WRC' Report No TT 477/10 (Water Research Commission South Africa 2011).
71. W Niewoudt, R Armitage 'Water market transfers in South Africa: two case studies' (2004) 40 (W09S05) Water Resources Research doi: 10.1029/2003WR002840; (Pubitemid 39385257)
72. Gerhard Backeberg 'Reform of user charges, marketing and management of water: problem or opportunity for irrigated agriculture?' (2006) 55 Irrigation and Drainage 1;
73. Reuters 'Factbox: Water trading schemes around the world' www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/08/us-water-trade-idUSTRE7772CM20110808;
74. although this is likely to change once compulsory water licensing is complete: A Pott, K Versfeld and M van Rooyen (eds) 'A scoping exercise to investigation the potential need for, and nature of, water trading in South Africa; WRC Report No KV 222/09' (Water Research Commission South Africa 2009).
75. Thomas Carry 'Water markets and water rights in the United States: lessons from Australia' (2007) 4 Macquarie Journal of International and Comparative Environmental Law 23.
76. Sara Hughes, Jennifer McKay 'The contribution of actors to achieving sustainability in Australia through water policy transitions' in Dave Huitema and Sander Meijerink (eds) Water Policy Entrepreneurs: a research companion to water transitions around the globe (Edward Elgar 2009) 175.
77. NSW Government 'New South Wales RiverBank Business Plan Part A: Program Plan 2006-2011 Buying and managing water for the environment (2010 update)' (Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2010).
78. Water Act 2007 (Cth) s 3.
79. Water Act 2007 (Cth) ss 104-5.
80. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 'Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin' www.environment.gov. au/water/policy-programs/entitlement-purchasing/index.html.
81. Water Act 2007 (Cth) s 20.
82. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 'Commonwealth environmental water holdings' www.environment.gov. au/water/policy-programs/cewh/holdings.html.
83. Water Act 2007 (Cth) s 115.
84. Commonwealth of Australia 'Water for the Future: Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder 2010-2011 Business Plan' (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 2010) 5-6.
85. Water Act 2007 (Cth) ss 115-6.
86. Murray-Darling Basin Authority The Living Murray' http://mdba. gov. au/programs/tlm;
87. Murray-Darling Basin Commission 'Living Murray Business Plan' (Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2007).
88. Murray-Darling Basin Authority 'The Living Murray first step: frequently asked questions' http://mdba.gov. au/programs/tlm/faqs#What-is-The-Living- Murray-portfolio-.
89. Waterfind Environment Fund 'Annual Report 2007-2008' (Waterfind Environment Fund 2008) (now Healthy Rivers Australia).
90. Healthy Rivers Australia 'Strategic Plan Brochure' www.healthy rivers.org.au/.
91. Australian Conservation Foundation 'Cash flow: donated water revives unique Murray wetland' http://acfonline.org.au/articles/news. asp?news-id=2815.
92. The Freshwater Trust 'Tools for Stream Flow Restoration' www.the freshwatertrust.org/conservation/stream-flow/tools;
93. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 'Finding Balance-Typical Tools' www.cbwtp.org/balance/TypicalTools.htm.
94. Department of Ecology, State of Washington 'Water Market' www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/market/market.html.
95. For a list of the VEWH's environmental water holdings, please refer to Victorian Environmental Water Holder 'Water Holdings' www.vewh.vic.gov. au/managing-the-water-holdings.
96. Water Act 1989 (Vic) s 33DS.
97. Although the permanent trade of an environmental entitlement is still subject to Ministerial approval (Water Act 1989 (Vic) s 480), any other holdings (such as water shares and water allocations) may be traded by the VEWH as long as such trade meets its objectives.
98. This is quite different to the CEWH, which is limited by s 106 (Water Act 2007 (Cth)), a confusing section that imposes a test of improved capacity to meet objectives as a means to validate a water trade.
99. Water Act 1989 (Vic) s 33AAA.
100. State of Victoria 'Victorian Water Accounts 2006-2007' (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2008) 24.
101. State of Victoria 'Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008' (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2010) 33;
102. State of Victoria 'Victorian Water Accounts 2008-2009' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010) 33.
103. Rachel Kleinman 'Dead fish fear for Yarra' The Age (13 November 2007) www.theage.com.au/news/national/dead-fish-fear-for-yarra/2007/11/12/ 1194766590192.html.
104. Deborah Lynn Guber The Grassroots of a Green Revolution: Polling America on the Environment (MIT Press 2003) 134.
105. Gary Backhouse et al 'National Recovery Plan for the Murray Hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2008) 3.
106. State of Victoria 'Environmental watering in Victoria 2007/08' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009) 16.
107. State of Victoria 'Victorian Water Accounts 2007-2008' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010) 16.
108. Chris McLennan 'Million Dollar Fish' Sunraysia Daily www.sun raysiadaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/million-dollar-fish/510635. aspx.
109. 'Anger over fish water "waste"' Sunraysia Daily www.sunraysia daily.com.au/news/local/news/general/anger-over-fish-water-waste/510638.aspx;
110. Phil Madden 'Fish backers blast critics' Sunraysia Daily (8 October 2007) www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/fish-backers-blast-critics/ 331894.aspx.
111. Chris McLennan 'The fish wins fight for water' Sunraysia Daily (17 October 2007) www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/the-fish-wins- fight-for-water/372674.aspx.
112. Water Act 7989 (Vic) s 33DC.
113. Water Act 1989 (Vic) s 33DD.
114. Water Act (n 122) ss 33DX-DZ.
115. State of Victoria 'Victorian Government White Paper: Securing Our Water Future Together' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2004) 40.
116. See eg State of Victoria, 'Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities: Victorian River Health Strategy' (Department of Natural Resources and Environment 2002) ch 2.
117. State of Victoria 'Victoria 2008: State of the Environment' (Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, 2008), 374.
118. See eg State of Victoria 'Environmental watering in Victoria 2007/08' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009), and the critical importance of delivering water to save a fish species, the Murray Hardyhead, from extinction.
119. Water Act (n 122) s 33DD.
120. See eg State of Victoria 'Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009) 129.
121. With the extraordinary response of ecosystems and the dramatic increase in water availability following the 2010-11 La Nina weather pattern, the price of water has fallen, so that the marginal benefit of using or carrying over the available water is probably still higher than selling it. For information on the price of water, please refer to http://waterregister.vic.gov. au/Default.aspx?Tablndex=0.
122. To view the specific environmental entitlements, please refer to http://waterregister.vic. gov. au/Public/Reports/BulkEntitlements.aspx.
123. Tim Holding Parliamentary Debates (n 44) 1920-22.
124. DSE has established an environmental watering committee for northern Victoria, to coordinate use of the available water across interconnected river systems, and is responsible for publishing reports on environmental watering in Victoria each year, eg State of Victoria 'Environmental watering in Victoria 2009/10' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010).
125. See eg State of Victoria 'Environmental watering in Victoria 2007/08' (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2009).
126. Australian Government 'Delivery Partners' www.environment. gov. au/ewater/partners/index.html.
127. Ben D Zevin Nothing to Fear: The selected addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932-1945 (Popular Library 1964).
128. However, as environmental outcomes are enhanced by integration, it is unlikely that other funding would support activities that are completely independent of environmental water; see Rebecca Nelson 'Legislation for ICM: advancing water resource sustainability?' (2005) 22 Environmental and Planning Law Journal 96.
129. Tim Holding Parliamentary Debates (n 44) 1920.