Minister’s Reply on Water Reform and Water-Saving Innovation (2006)

In May 2006, Malcolm Turnbull MP replied to Colin Austin’s letter about Australia’s water policy and new technologies to harvest more rain. The reply outlines the Australian Government’s commitment to national water reform through the National Water Initiative, alongside funding support via the $2 billion Australian Government Water Fund and the Water Smart Australia program. It explains how project proposals were assessed through the National Water Commission and where guidelines could be found.

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Context and Purpose

This page preserves a formal response from the Australian Government to a citizen’s submission on water policy and practical technologies that could help Australia harvest and manage water more effectively. The letter is addressed to Mr Colin Austin at Kookaburra Park Eco Village (Gin Gin, Queensland) and acknowledges his earlier correspondence about “water policy and new technologies to harvest more rain in Australia.” The purpose of this post is to present the content in a clear, readable format while keeping the original meaning intact.

Letter Details

From: The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
To: Mr Colin Austin, Lot 55, Elzards Way, Kookaburra Park Eco Village, Gin Gin QLD 4671
Date: 11 May 2006
Subject: Water policy and new technologies to harvest more rain in Australia

Acknowledgement of the Original Letter

The letter opens by thanking Mr Austin for his letter dated 27 March 2006. It notes that the topic raised concerned “water policy and new technologies to harvest more rain in Australia.” This acknowledgement matters because it places innovation and practical technology inside a broader national policy discussion, rather than treating it as a purely local or private issue.

National Water Initiative as the Core Reform Framework

The reply states that the Australian Government is committed to improved water management in Australia and “led the development of the National Water Initiative (NWI).” The NWI is described as having been considered by the Council of Australian Governments and signed by the Australian Government and the governments of all states and territories. In the letter’s wording, the NWI is presented as the “blueprint for water reform in Australia over the next decade.”

The letter further explains the intended direction of the reform: when implemented “fully and effectively,” the NWI would result in a “nationally-compatible market, regulatory and planning-based system” for managing both surface and groundwater resources across rural and urban use. In other words, it frames reform as a whole-of-system change—markets, regulation, and planning working together—rather than a single policy lever.

Funding Support Through the Water Fund

Beyond policy architecture, the response refers to direct financial support. It states that the government established the “$2 billion Australian Government Water Fund” to support the NWI and to help fund practical water solutions. The letter highlights that this funding support would be delivered “primarily through the Water Smart Australia programme.”

Water Smart Australia and Practical Projects

The Water Smart Australia programme is described as a large project programme that supports “on-the-ground water resource projects.” The intended outcomes are spelled out clearly: projects that make a significant contribution to sustainable and efficient management of Australia’s water resources, and that promote the uptake of new technologies and practices. The letter also includes an important boundary: the programme was “not intended as a substitute” for the existing water supply responsibilities of states, but it is positioned as a meaningful national commitment to innovation and best practice.

How Proposals Were Assessed

The letter explains that administration of the Water Smart Australia programme was undertaken by the National Water Commission (NWC). It states that all project proposals put forward for funding would be given careful consideration by the NWC against the programme guidelines, and that proposals would be considered on a competitive basis before advice was provided to the government for final decision. This section clarifies that funding was not automatic: it was structured, criteria-based, and competitive.

Where to Find the Guidelines

Finally, the reply notes that the guidelines for the programme could be found on the National Water Commission’s website, listed in the letter as www.nwc.gov.au. The letter closes by thanking Mr Austin again for writing about the issue and expressing trust that the information would be of interest. It is signed “Yours sincerely” by Malcolm Turnbull.