Latest news
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Message from Watertrust CEO Karen Hutchinson
21 July 2026
Watertrust Australia is a systems change organisation. Our mission is to achieve better and fairer water outcomes for Australia. We do this by bringing deliberation into the mix in the complex and contentious water space to resolve policy deadlocks.
It means being here for the long haul. Our work takes time and patience, and success is likely to be incremental. It does not mean you can’t have impact along the way. In fact, visible, relevant impact is essential to our work.
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A better way to secure the Upper Murrumbidgee’s future
07 March 2025
The Upper Murrumbidgee River has long been at the heart of cultural, environmental, and agricultural life for communities across the region. Today, more than ever, its future depends on how water is managed in the face of climate variability, competing demands, and the need to balance economic, environmental, and cultural outcomes.
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A turning point for the Upper Murrumbidgee
27 February 2025
The Upper Murrumbidgee River sits at the heart of a complex challenge – balancing water needs for communities, industry, agriculture, and the environment. The proposed Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed (SWIOID) review presents a rare opportunity to rethink how water is managed, to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience.
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Shaping the future of water policy
13 February 2025
Water policy in Australia is at a turning point. The challenges we face – climate pressures, competing demands, and the need for greater transparency – are now firmly in the national spotlight. Watertrust Australia was created for this: to help drive smarter, more inclusive water decisions.
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Creating a better way to shape water policy
10 February 2025
The review of the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed (SWIOID) presents a unique opportunity to embrace a 21st-century approach to water policy decision-making – one that is transparent, collaborative, and community-driven.
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Fairness in focus: A new path for Australia’s water future
31 January 2025
Two new reports from Watertrust Australia are challenging policymakers to rethink water governance by placing fairness, equity, and justice at the heart of decision-making.
These reports are part of Watertrust’s wider Equity, Fairness, and Justice initiative, which aims to reshape how water policy decisions are made in Australia.
These reports are part of Watertrust’s wider Equity, Fairness, and Justice initiative, which aims to reshape how water policy decisions are made in Australia.
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New NT report contributes to a groundswell for change
20 January 2025
A report released today claims modern approaches to making policy decisions will deliver better outcomes in the Northern Territory’s contentious water allocation debate.
Specialists from Watertrust Australia say that the NT is particularly well placed to embrace new, best practice consultation and decision making. Getting this right will create water policy that Territorians have confidence in and ensure freshwater is allocated fairly in the Western Davenport region north of Alice Springs and elsewhere.
Specialists from Watertrust Australia say that the NT is particularly well placed to embrace new, best practice consultation and decision making. Getting this right will create water policy that Territorians have confidence in and ensure freshwater is allocated fairly in the Western Davenport region north of Alice Springs and elsewhere.