Managing Water Key Issue for Australia's Future

Reaching agreement on sustainable water management was one of the most critical long-term issues facing Australia, Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson said today.

Anderson said on one of the driest continents on Earth, 50,000 liters of water was needed to produce 1kg of steak, and 685,000 liters of water went into the production of one wool suit.

He told the Western Australian Rural Water Users Summit at Nannup, 280km south of Perth, the National Water Initiative was a step toward properly managed water resources in Australia.

"The National Water Initiative puts more than a century of squabbling between governments behind us and brings us a step closer to finding a sustainable solution to our water problems," he said.

"Crucial elements of the initiative include the availability to maintain a capacity for investment and economic growth, sustaining water resources and associated ecosystems and fair dealing for all of our people."

In August, the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) agreed on the scope of the National Water Initiative, which is due to be finalized in partnership with water users in time for CoAG's first meeting in 2004.

Anderson said the need to properly manage water became increasingly evident during droughts.

West Australian producers had experienced a 48 per cent decline in crop production in 2002-03 as a result of the drought, he said.

"With such harsh natural climactic variations in Australia we cannot afford to have additional risks posed by inappropriate regulation and management systems implemented by governments over the last hundred years."

Source: NEWS.com.au.