The South Australian Government has released its Water Security Statement and Urban Water Directions Statement, spurring the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGA) to develop responses to the consultation documents.
The LGA consulted with members to develop responses to the draft consultation documents, through holding information sessions in collaboration with the South Australian Government and sector leaders – as well as seeking written feedback from members.
The LGA responses to the consultation documents/discussion papers can be accessed through the LGA Submissions webpage.
The Water Security Statement provides an overview of water security across South Australia and includes ten strategic priorities out to July 2024.
The ten strategic priorities set out in the Water Security Statement include working with industry, key stakeholders and partners to:
- Invest in understanding climate impacts to support adaptive decision-making and increase resilience
- In partnership with key stakeholders, develop targeted water security strategies for key water resources, communities and industries
- Ensure water resource management is ecologically sustainable and that water allocation plans are updated within timeframes that reflect statutory requirements and risks to users and water resources
- Ensure that the critical human water needs of all South Australians are able to be met, including in remote communities
- Continue to drive full implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan to achieve a healthy River Murray – to meet critical human water needs for over 90 per cent of South Australians, maintain vibrant river communities, meet the aspirations of First Nations peoples, and sustain internationally important floodplains and wetlands
- Ensure First Nations have equitable access to water resources for cultural and economic purposes
- Develop and implement an Urban Water Directions Statement that sets a state framework for optimising the use of all urban water sources in a way that supports growth, greening and liveable towns and cities; efficient and cost-effective water use; and the release of recycled water for productive use outside urban areas
- Implement the recommendations of the 2021 review of the Water Industry Act 2012 (SA) to drive innovation and competition in the water industry
- Invest in data management, analytics and decision support tools to efficiently monitor and manage emerging water risks and opportunities, increase transparency and support timely decision-making
- Work with the South Australian water sector, including water retailers and the research, innovation and education sectors, to build the state’s capacity to respond to future water challenges across the economy and capture a greater share of an expanding global market for water technologies and services
Urban Water Directions Statement
The Urban Water Directions Statement has been developed to set a framework for optimising the use of all urban water sources.
Strategies contained in the Urban Directions Statement have been grouped into four key areas:
- Securing our water supplies in a changing climate
- Water in the landscape
- Drainage for tomorrow
- Our communities are part of the solution
