Update on National Water Commission Urban Water Advisory Group

The National Water Commission (NWC) established the Urban Water Advisory Group (UWAG) in 2006 to provide expert advice to the Commission and the parties to the National Water Initiative (NWI). The UWAG assists NWI parties and the Commission to implement the NWI in order to achieve the urban reform outcomes prescribed in the NWI.

Members include some of Australia’s leading urban water experts from government, non-government, academic and community organisations. The Commission held its 3rd UWAG meeting late last year. The meeting focused on establishing a vision for urban water management in the year 2050 and set out interventions and measures needed to achieve the 2050 vision statement. To do this, the group compiled and presented five Urban Water Vision papers for the year 2050. The papers were authored by Peter Cullen, National Water Commissioner, Ross Young, Water Services Association of Australia, Simon Fane, Institute for Sustainable Futures and Graham Dooley, previously United Utilities. Graham Turner from the CSIRO provided context around expected urban demographics in 2050.

The group identified four broad areas that need further attention to progress sustainable urban water management. These areas were:

• reliability of water supply;
• institutional reform (to amongst other things, encourage innovation)
• encouraging markets and sophisticated pricing, and
• measures to improve environmental sustainability (including Water Sensitive Urban Design and climate change and greenhouse gas production and stewardship).

Significant progress has been made in implementing the NWI as evidenced in the 1st Biennial Assessment of the National Water Initiative but there is still much that needs to be done. With assistance from the UWAG the Commission can target areas where more gains can be achieved. The Urban Water Advisory Group’s 2050 vision statement is currently being prepared.