Shifting to holistic water management in Greater Adelaide

Watertrust Australia has been working with stakeholder organisations across Greater Adelaide to explore solutions through a collaborative and holistic approach to managing water resources, known as Integrated Water Management (IWM).

Through this process, a broad cross-section of agencies, councils, utilities, businesses, and community representative groups identified the need for significant governance reform. Their conclusion: the current fragmented system – where over 27 organisations play important individual roles but lack clear coordination – is limiting the ability to establish a sustainable water future for Greater Adelaide.

Watertrust’s summary report, Future Integrated Water Management Governance Arrangements for Greater Adelaide, highlights key structural, legislative, regulatory and funding barriers that must be addressed to enable a more effective, efficient and sustainable approach to water management.

Stakeholders identified that water supplies – including surface water, groundwater, desalination, and recycled water – and water demands are currently managed in isolation, making it difficult to meet community expectations, overcome future challenges and balance economic, environmental, and social priorities.

With over 27 organisations sharing responsibility, institutional arrangements have become fragmented, resulting in inefficiencies and poor coordination that act as barriers to integrated water management.

A number of governance models were explored to address these issues, with two receiving broad stakeholder support:

• A Statutory IWM Authority, responsible for planning and coordination, ensuring all elements of the water cycle work in unison; or,
• A Centralised Approach, where SA Water takes on a broader role, integrating water management under a single entity.

While there are differing views on which model is preferable, all stakeholders agreed that Adelaide cannot afford to keep ‘tinkering around the edges.’ Major reform is needed.

However, success depends on securing government support now in order to ensure sustainable funding, and to promote the wide-ranging benefits of IWM.

This is a rare opportunity to take decisive action. With the right governance framework, Greater Adelaide can transition beyond piecemeal adjustments and establish a water management system that is coordinated and designed to meet the long-term needs of its communities, environment, and economy.

Watertrust Australia acknowledges the invaluable contributions of all stakeholders involved and remains committed to supporting the next steps. By working together, we can create a better, fairer, and more sustainable water system for Adelaide and its surrounds; one that sets a national benchmark for the future.

Read the full report here.