Achieving river integrity through natural resource management and integrated catchment management legislative...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Law
• Water Resource Management
• Legislative Frameworks

Background:

• The study builds upon a 1999 model legislative framework for water management.
• It addresses the need for updated legislation influenced by ecological, governance, and management principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refine and present an improved model legislative framework for Australian water resource management.
• To develop a statement of model statutory objectives and principles for water legislation.

Main Methods:

• Benchmarking the model framework against Australian jurisdictional legislation.
• Aligning the framework with major policy initiatives like the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) water reform agenda.
• Incorporating contemporary concepts in ecological systems, good governance, and organizational management.

Main Results:

• A refined model legislative framework for water resource management.
• A comprehensive statement of model statutory objectives and principles for water legislation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework and principles offer a robust foundation for modern water resource legislation in Australia.
• The refined model framework integrates ecological, governance, and management best practices for improved water governance.