Stewardship Initiative - options paper, water stewardship forum
Project details
| Objective: |
To identify principles for best practice water use, and provide brand recognition to reward responsible water users. |
| Funding: |
$60,000 plus applicable GST from Australian Government towards a total project value of $180,000. |
| Jurisdiction: |
National |
| Commenced: |
3 June 2008 |
| Completion: |
31 October 2008 |
About the project
The Water Stewardship Concept (WSC) is a collaborative, multi-stakeholder project that aims to identify principles for best practice water use, and provide brand recognition to reward responsible water users. The concept was developed by the Water Stewardship Team following initial discussions with the NWC and was workshopped with approximately 80 water industry stakeholders at a water stewardship forum in Melbourne on 14 June 2007.
The June 2007 Water Stewardship Forum was sponsored by a range of high profile private sector organisations including Coca-Cola Amatil, Veolia Water, Westpac, Woolworths, Australian Paper, Bluescope Steel, National Food Industry Strategy, Offersharp and Landcare Australia (support partner), as well as South-East Water and the National Water Commission. Support for the water stewardship concept from participants at the forum was strong, with a view that it would emulate similar stewardship programs that exist in the forestry and agricultural sectors.
The Water Stewardship Initiative will progress priorities developed at the water stewardship forum held in Melbourne, and establish a self-sustaining entity or group of entities that can govern, manage, set standards, verify compliance, brand, license, and promote the global Water Stewardship scheme in the long term.
The involvement of industry leaders in developing responsible water management standards and principles for water users in agribusiness, manufacturing, mining and infrastructure sectors is fundamentally important to the success of the national water reform agenda under the National Water Initiative (NWI).
Project benefits
Key outcomes of the project include:
- establishment of a water stewardship reference group
- research paper on existing water related schemes, standards, brands, logos (national and international)
- options paper covering draft principles and options for standards, branding, verification and governance
- 3rd water stewardship forum to finalise the concept and build momentum to point where the initiative can be self funding.
This project will contribute to the Raising National Water Standards priority for water planning and management, and in particular fosters greater involvement of the private sector in identifying and promoting best practice water use. The proposal further aligns to the National Water Initiative (NWI), by addressing several NWI objectives. They are:
- Objective (iii) - statutory provision for environmental and other public benefit outcomes, and improved environmental management practices
- Objective (viii) - policy settings which facilitate water use efficiency and innovation in urban and rural areas.