New South Wales Government
Water and Energy

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4. National reforms

Water Law in NSW

National reforms

There are a number of forums and initiatives that direct and contribute to water management at the national level.

• Council of Australian Governments (COAG): is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia comprising the Prime Minister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association. The role of COAG is to develop and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of national significance, including water policy. COAG has released a number of communiqués  dealing with national water reform and policy.
  
  
• National Water Initiative: The NSW Government is a partner in the National Water Initiative (NWI) endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments in June 2004. The NSW Government prepared its NSW NWI Implementation Plan (PDF 658KB) containing specific actions for implementing the eight key elements of the NWI. The Plan was accredited by the National Water Commission on 18 August 2006.
  
  
• Water for the Future: The Commonwealth Government is investing $12.9 billion over ten years from 2008 to improve the security of water supplies and provide additional water for the environment through infrastructure projects, the purchase of water licences, and desalinisation, greywater and rainwater initiatives. More information on Water for the Future  and information on NSW's "Sustaining the Basin" water infrastructure projects.
  
  
• Murray Darling Basin reforms: the vast majority of inland NSW is within the Murray Darling Basin. On 3 July 2008 COAG signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on Murray Darling Basin reforms. This provides for the establishment of a new independent Murray Darling Basin Authority to oversee the management of the Basin's water resources. The Authority will develop a Basin Plan by 2011 which will set new limits on water extractions for each catchment in the Basin. 
  
  
• Living Murray and Snowy Initiatives: Under these initiatives, the NSW government in cooperation with the Commonwealth and other State Governments have committed substantial funding and resources to improve the health of these river systems by returning additional water to the rivers. To view more information go to the section on water recovery projects.