Distilled Edition 66 - December 2011
In this edition
CEO review 2011
CEO James Cameron reflects on an extraordinary year for water in Australia, and an important year in the life of the Commission.
Water markets offer flexibility and autonomy
The Commission's fourth water markets report demonstrates that Australia's irrigators are employing increasingly sophisticated strategies to meet their changing water requirements and generate income from their water rights.
Monitoring and evaluation of water plans needs to stepped up
Chloe Munro has called for Australia's states and territories to follow through on their water planning commitments by stepping up the way they monitor and report results, in the interests of transparency and community confidence.
Record rainfall impacts on water market trends
Another water markets report tracking longer-term trends and drivers finds that trading patterns established in the years of the millennium drought became weaker during 2010-11, reflecting plentiful water supply and lower demand.
Discover the history of Australia's water markets
Water markets in Australia: a short history recounts how water markets have increased production, helped farmers and communities to survive severe drought, and provided the mechanism for recovering water for the environment.
Trading database available for analysis
The Commission is making its comprehensive database of water trading activity around Australia available to the public. This nationally consolidated resource contains information on thousands of individual water trades.
Understanding groundwater in southern Victoria
Senator Don Farrell has congratulated Southern Rural Water on the launch of its Commission-funded groundwater atlas, which provides a greater understanding of groundwater and its finite nature.
How did groundwater respond to the 2010–11 floods?
A new Commission report finds that the high rainfall and significant flooding in many areas of Australia during late 2010 and early 2011 led to groundwater levels rising in all examined areas. However, groundwater levels only recovered to pre-drought levels in some aquifers.
Reforming water allocation systems
A new Waterlines report analyses the opportunities for improving the carryover arrangements for water allocation. It presents an assessment framework to guide water allocation system reforms.
Brackish groundwater – a water supply option?
Water supply authorities now have a practical way to investigate using brackish groundwater to supply water to communities in regional and remote Australia.
Overview of recent changes in irrigated agriculture in the MDB
A Commission-funded overview of changes in irrigated agriculture in the Murray-Darling Basin analyses water reform, water trading, structural adjustment and water use efficiency based on an annual survey of 900 irrigation farms in the MDB.
New water trading case studies
The Commission has released five case studies that examine the role of water trading in key agricultural industries — almond, wine grape, rice, cotton and dairy — in the Murray-Darling Basin.
The impact of climate change on groundwater
The final report in a national series on the impact of climate change on groundwater resources explores how climate change can affect recharge and discharge.
Australian groundwater-dependent ecosystems toolbox
An updated management toolbox provides practical tools for water managers to identify Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs), determine their reliance on groundwater, and understand possible changes to ecosystems.
Ecological water requirements of groundwater systems
A Commisson fellowship report reviews the findings of recent studies on the ecological water requirements of groundwater systems. It sets out a methodological management framework.
Free groundwater forum
Hydrologists, water managers, researchers and policy makers who want to advance their groundwater knowledge are invited to join a forum in Canberra to be hosted by the Commission and CSIRO on 27-28 March 2012.
Talking water science and technology – register now
Distilled readers are encouraged to register for a new short course on understanding water science and technology. The course is based on the social research in the Waterlines report Talking about water.
Upcoming events
The Commission will be involved in the following upcoming events:
- The Commission-sponsored Our Water travelling exhibition is at the Portland Arts Centre, Portland until January 3. It will then travel to the Imaginarium Science Centre in Devonport, TAS where it will be on display from 10 January - 10 February 2012