Australia's next National Water Agreement will help shape how our rivers, wetlands, groundwater and water supplies are managed for decades to come. The Concerned Waterways Alliance has now lodged its submission on the draft National Water Initiative (NWI) Principles, arguing that the proposed reforms need to be significantly strengthened if they are to meet the challenges of climate change, declining river health and increasing pressure on our water resources.
While the Alliance welcomes the opportunity to contribute, our submission identifies several areas where the draft principles have become less ambitious than the original National Water Initiative.
A central concern is the apparent abandonment of a renewed National Water Commission. The submission argues that Australia needs an independent national body to provide oversight, accountability and transparent reporting on the implementation of water reform across all jurisdictions. Without strong national governance, there is a real risk that important commitments will continue to be delayed or inconsistently applied.
The submission also raises concerns that the new principles rely on softer, less prescriptive language than the original agreement. At a time when many waterways are becoming increasingly flow stressed due to climate change and historic overallocation, the CWA argues that stronger wording is needed to support practical action and provide communities with a meaningful framework for holding governments to account.
Among the many detailed recommendations, the submission calls for:
- the reinstatement of an independent National Water Commission;
- stronger implementation and accountability measures;
- greater protection against the environmental impacts of mining and co-produced water;
- a more precautionary approach to wastewater reuse and emerging contaminants such as PFAS;
- improved transparency through greater public access to water data and environmental reporting;
- recognition of waterways as living, interconnected systems;
- stronger community participation in water planning and decision-making; and
- national principles that better reflect the realities of climate change and declining water availability.
The submission also contains a detailed clause-by-clause review of the draft principles, proposing practical amendments that would strengthen environmental protection, improve governance, increase transparency and better recognise the importance of healthy waterways alongside social, cultural and economic water needs.
The CWA believes Australia's future water security depends on national leadership that is transparent, accountable and guided by precaution. Healthy rivers, wetlands and aquifers are not simply another water user—they are the foundation upon which communities, agriculture, industry and biodiversity all depend.
You can download and read the Concerned Waterways Alliance's full submission below.