Water Reform Bill - Draft water reform bill (WA)

The Water Reform Bill will consolidate six water resource management Acts into one. Some current provisions will be transitioned to the new legislation without change, some will be amended and new provisions will be created. The Bill will also update the Water Services Act and associated regulations.

The new legislation will play a key role in allowing the department to manage water more effectively for the economic, social and environmental values of Western Australia.

The legislation will seek to:

• ensure community wellbeing and quality of life for the people of Western Australia

• support the productive use of water to promote ecologically sustainable development

• protect water resources and their dependent ecosystems

• ensure water resources are shared fairly, used efficiently and managed sustainably and flexibly to meet the needs of present and future generations in a variable and changing climate

• ensure Aboriginal land, heritage, economic and cultural development concerns are effectively represented in water policy development and water allocation processes

• deliver benefits to Aboriginal people in relation to their spiritual, social, customary and economic use of water.

See here for more