Things you need to know about how water allocation works in Australia? 

When it comes to water usage, Australia uses more water per capita than any of the other countries in the world. With a population that is expected to increase from 22 million in 2008 to as much as 25 million by 2030, the present water allocation does not seem likely to work for future needs. Water in Australia is an extremely valuable resource. Water allocation works with water rights that are given to irrigators and various other users of water sometimes free of charge and sometimes at a price. In Australia, the management of water resources, allocation of water, and the distribution of water are all carried out by numerous State, Territory, Commonwealth, and local government agencies that are responsible for delivering sustainable integrated water management.

Listed below are a few points that will shed some light on how water allocation works in Australia:

In Australia, water rights are considered property rights. The owners of land in rural areas have the right to take their share of the water under the assumption that they own a share of the land. They can use it for any purpose such as to feedstock, maintain a dam, or grow crops. If a person does not use their allocation, they can sell it to another party for use on their property. Because water is essential for human life and needs, charges are set by law to ensure that every person is allocated a fair share.

In Australia, the Commonwealth Government allocates water from the major dams through their minister to state governments who then administer it according to the Water Act. The water commissioner reviews all water allocations and decides on a case-by-case basis whether they are appropriate or not.

SA water allocations system operates through a state-based system and users pay a fee to access this water. This fee is based on the amount of water rights entitlements a user holds for groundwater and surface water. Users may then buy and sell these entitlements. The process allows for the water allocation system to be managed by the market forces created by competition from buyers and sellers without the need for government regulation.

As water is a scarce and valuable resource in Australia, it can be allocated to greater value uses. This can mean many things in practice but essentially it means that those who have a greater economic and social use for water are better placed to get access. The idea behind this system of allocation is to get the long-term benefit for the community to which it belongs.

Water allocation is undertaken by the National Water Commission of Australia as it is a complex process. The Commission is responsible for allocating water for use in urban and rural communities, as well as other uses such as farming and mining.

Each year. the Australian government allocates a portion of total renewable water resources to be used by farmers and communities in that year. The allocation to a river system is based on how much water has been historically used by farmers, how much flow is available, and how efficient use can be made of that flow. River flows are then shared out between different users depending on their legal rights to take water from the system.

The Murray-Darling Basin covers the majority of Southern Australia’s water allocations and produces 40 percent of Australia’s agricultural produce including wheat and wool. The Basin is also home to a third of Australia’s population, which draws its drinking water from the rivers. In response to the historic low-flow problems Australia has experienced in recent years, the Federal Government has introduced a plan for sustainable water management for the Australian Murray-Darling Basin.

Australia’s water allocation system involves the creation and recording of state-based water entitlements. These entitlements are legally binding, although they are not registered or transferable. They are governed under a combination of state and Commonwealth legislative frameworks. Within this system, surface water allocation is regulated by state governments through the regulatory instruments of water plans and water access licenses. In most states, the allocation for surface water can be for a specific volume or a designated purpose for example agriculture.

The consumption of water in Australia is subject to several controls. In 2005–06, the New South Wales government introduced changes known as the Water Sharing Plan for Allocation Reform (WSPA), which restricted consumption by urban water utilities to modernise irrigation practices and preserve catchments.