Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.2010392
K. Daniell
Skipping out the door, the little girl jumped over the concrete steps and cartwheeled across the lush green grass. She whistled happily to herself as she grabbed some fennel off a sprouting plant at the back of the garden to munch on, before jumping to reach the highest bars of a bent metal ladder that was attached to the apricot tree, swinging across it like monkey bars. An hour later, as the sun began to dip in the sky, she had her helmet on and was off for a scoot around the neighbourhood wetlands with her big brother and a family from the next street, the parents following lazily behind, their mouths and noses enjoying their new found freedoms in the fresh air. The wetlands were full of birdsong, or rather cacophony when the cockatoos entered the fray overhead, and were teeming with tadpoles and low croaking, and a myriad of other insects and people who had come to appreciate the beauty of the welcoming day. Halfway around the path at the edge of one of the ponds, peering through and over the reeds, there were outstretched arms from a bunch of very excited people, some with kids on their shoulders, exclaiming “Look! There!” The kids dumped their scooters and ran over to see what was happening. The water broke slightly and circular reverberations could be seen making their way in all directions to the reeds. “Are you sure?” said one of the women, disbelieving the crowd. “There can’t be any here,” said another, “It’s likely just a fish.” The water broke slightly again, with a dark grey protrusion like a slippery stone just visible. “There! There!” shrieked a young boy from his mother’s shoulders: “It’s a beak!” And as if just to confuse the crowd, a couple of seconds later, a patch of sleek brown appeared near the tree debris a metre away and travelled along the surface of the darkly reflective water for just a second before appearing to dive out of sight. “Papa, papa, c’est un ornithorynque” squealed the excited little girl, her face brimming with delight. Not waiting another second, she turned to her brother and affirmed in no uncertain terms, “This is the absolute best day of my life!”
{"title":"La Niña and the platypus: stories of Australasian water relationships","authors":"K. Daniell","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.2010392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.2010392","url":null,"abstract":"Skipping out the door, the little girl jumped over the concrete steps and cartwheeled across the lush green grass. She whistled happily to herself as she grabbed some fennel off a sprouting plant at the back of the garden to munch on, before jumping to reach the highest bars of a bent metal ladder that was attached to the apricot tree, swinging across it like monkey bars. An hour later, as the sun began to dip in the sky, she had her helmet on and was off for a scoot around the neighbourhood wetlands with her big brother and a family from the next street, the parents following lazily behind, their mouths and noses enjoying their new found freedoms in the fresh air. The wetlands were full of birdsong, or rather cacophony when the cockatoos entered the fray overhead, and were teeming with tadpoles and low croaking, and a myriad of other insects and people who had come to appreciate the beauty of the welcoming day. Halfway around the path at the edge of one of the ponds, peering through and over the reeds, there were outstretched arms from a bunch of very excited people, some with kids on their shoulders, exclaiming “Look! There!” The kids dumped their scooters and ran over to see what was happening. The water broke slightly and circular reverberations could be seen making their way in all directions to the reeds. “Are you sure?” said one of the women, disbelieving the crowd. “There can’t be any here,” said another, “It’s likely just a fish.” The water broke slightly again, with a dark grey protrusion like a slippery stone just visible. “There! There!” shrieked a young boy from his mother’s shoulders: “It’s a beak!” And as if just to confuse the crowd, a couple of seconds later, a patch of sleek brown appeared near the tree debris a metre away and travelled along the surface of the darkly reflective water for just a second before appearing to dive out of sight. “Papa, papa, c’est un ornithorynque” squealed the excited little girl, her face brimming with delight. Not waiting another second, she turned to her brother and affirmed in no uncertain terms, “This is the absolute best day of my life!”","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"91 - 97"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46797355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1970094
Lana D. Hartwig, F. Markham, S. Jackson
ABSTRACT Australia’s ability to address Indigenous claims for water rights and to advance both national Indigenous and water policy is hampered by a lack of information on Indigenous water entitlements and the communities that hold them. This paper contributes to the policy agenda of increasing Indigenous water rights by developing a method that quantifies and enables spatially explicit comparison of Indigenous-held water within and across Murray-Darling Basin jurisdictions. We construct baselines for (i) Indigenous population (ii) Indigenous holdings of surface water entitlements, and (iii) Indigenous holdings of groundwater entitlements across water management units in the Basin. We estimate that Indigenous surface water holdings constitute no more than 0.17% of the equivalent permitted take across the entire Basin. Groundwater entitlements held by Indigenous entities constitute 0.02% of all available groundwater. The approximate market value of these water entitlements is A$19.2 million in 2015–16 terms, which equates to 0.12% of the total $16.5 billion market value. In contrast, 5.3% of the Murray-Darling Basin population is Indigenous, a proportion that is rapidly increasing. The production of estimates of this type, and Indigenous control of the data needed to generate them, are first steps in a reparations process that can contribute towards Indigenous water justice.
{"title":"Benchmarking Indigenous water holdings in the Murray-Darling Basin: a crucial step towards developing water rights targets for Australia","authors":"Lana D. Hartwig, F. Markham, S. Jackson","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1970094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1970094","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Australia’s ability to address Indigenous claims for water rights and to advance both national Indigenous and water policy is hampered by a lack of information on Indigenous water entitlements and the communities that hold them. This paper contributes to the policy agenda of increasing Indigenous water rights by developing a method that quantifies and enables spatially explicit comparison of Indigenous-held water within and across Murray-Darling Basin jurisdictions. We construct baselines for (i) Indigenous population (ii) Indigenous holdings of surface water entitlements, and (iii) Indigenous holdings of groundwater entitlements across water management units in the Basin. We estimate that Indigenous surface water holdings constitute no more than 0.17% of the equivalent permitted take across the entire Basin. Groundwater entitlements held by Indigenous entities constitute 0.02% of all available groundwater. The approximate market value of these water entitlements is A$19.2 million in 2015–16 terms, which equates to 0.12% of the total $16.5 billion market value. In contrast, 5.3% of the Murray-Darling Basin population is Indigenous, a proportion that is rapidly increasing. The production of estimates of this type, and Indigenous control of the data needed to generate them, are first steps in a reparations process that can contribute towards Indigenous water justice.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"98 - 110"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46488656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1996681
M. Stewardson, N. Bond, J. Brookes, S. Capon, F. Dyer, Michael Grace, P. Frazier, Barry Hart, A. Horne, Alison King, M. Langton, R. Nathan, I. Rutherfurd, F. Sheldon, Ross Thompson, R. Vertessy, G. Walker, Q. Wang, S. Wassens, R. Watts, A. Webb, A. Western
ABSTRACT Many water scientists aim for their work to inform water policy and management, and in pursuit of this objective, they often work alongside government water agencies to ensure their research is relevant, timely and communicated effectively. A paper in this issue, examining 'Science integrity, public policy and water governance in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’, suggests that a large group of scientists, who work on water management in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) including the Basin Plan, have been subject to possible ‘administrative capture'. Specifically, it is suggested that they have advocated for policies favoured by government agencies with the objective of gaining personal benefit, such as increased research funding. We examine evidence for this claim and conclude that it is not justified. The efforts of scientists working alongside government water agencies appear to have been misinterpreted as possible administrative capture. Although unsubstantiated, this claim does indicate that the science used in basin water planning is increasingly caught up in the politics of water management. We suggest actions to improve science-policy engagement in basin planning, to promote constructive debate over contested views and avoid the over-politicisation of basin science.
{"title":"The politicisation of science in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: discussion of ‘Scientific integrity, public policy and water governance’","authors":"M. Stewardson, N. Bond, J. Brookes, S. Capon, F. Dyer, Michael Grace, P. Frazier, Barry Hart, A. Horne, Alison King, M. Langton, R. Nathan, I. Rutherfurd, F. Sheldon, Ross Thompson, R. Vertessy, G. Walker, Q. Wang, S. Wassens, R. Watts, A. Webb, A. Western","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1996681","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1996681","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Many water scientists aim for their work to inform water policy and management, and in pursuit of this objective, they often work alongside government water agencies to ensure their research is relevant, timely and communicated effectively. A paper in this issue, examining 'Science integrity, public policy and water governance in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’, suggests that a large group of scientists, who work on water management in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) including the Basin Plan, have been subject to possible ‘administrative capture'. Specifically, it is suggested that they have advocated for policies favoured by government agencies with the objective of gaining personal benefit, such as increased research funding. We examine evidence for this claim and conclude that it is not justified. The efforts of scientists working alongside government water agencies appear to have been misinterpreted as possible administrative capture. Although unsubstantiated, this claim does indicate that the science used in basin water planning is increasingly caught up in the politics of water management. We suggest actions to improve science-policy engagement in basin planning, to promote constructive debate over contested views and avoid the over-politicisation of basin science.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"141 - 158"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41556180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1983968
R. Koech, R. Cardell-Oliver, G. Syme
ABSTRACT In recent decades, the adoption of smart water metering technology for water management has increased. The case for the adoption of smart water meters is mainly motivated by engineering and efficiency considerations around water conservation and related issues, for instance leak detection. At a consumer level, this can lead to improved feedback resulting in better customer control over consumption and household expenditure. The rate of adoption of smart water meters is dependent on many factors such as initial cost. The cost is expected to reduce as the technology matures and more options become available. The rate of adoption of the technology is also expected to be shaped by a variety of regulatory and social considerations. The purpose of this paper is to review the regulatory and social aspects that are likely to affect the adoption of the smart water metering technology in the future, with a focus on Australia. Instances of these aspects include privacy and health concerns, social acceptance, and communication strategies. It is expected that this paper will generate a healthy debate around the adoption of smart water meters to help the water sector to achieve a smooth transition from conventional to smart water meters.
{"title":"Smart water metering: adoption, regulatory and social considerations","authors":"R. Koech, R. Cardell-Oliver, G. Syme","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1983968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1983968","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In recent decades, the adoption of smart water metering technology for water management has increased. The case for the adoption of smart water meters is mainly motivated by engineering and efficiency considerations around water conservation and related issues, for instance leak detection. At a consumer level, this can lead to improved feedback resulting in better customer control over consumption and household expenditure. The rate of adoption of smart water meters is dependent on many factors such as initial cost. The cost is expected to reduce as the technology matures and more options become available. The rate of adoption of the technology is also expected to be shaped by a variety of regulatory and social considerations. The purpose of this paper is to review the regulatory and social aspects that are likely to affect the adoption of the smart water metering technology in the future, with a focus on Australia. Instances of these aspects include privacy and health concerns, social acceptance, and communication strategies. It is expected that this paper will generate a healthy debate around the adoption of smart water meters to help the water sector to achieve a smooth transition from conventional to smart water meters.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"173 - 182"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41651581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-21DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1936907
C. Muller, M. Neal, T. Carey‐Smith, J. Luttrell, MS. Srinivasan
ABSTRACT Irrigation decision-making is complex. It requires balancing multiple risks . We examined if incorporation of weather forecasts into irrigation decision-making improved environmental and economic outcomes on dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand. We focused on understanding how farmers can manage irrigation decision-making with uncertain weather forecasts, and the associated impacts on drainage, pasture growth and economics. Previous work had demonstrated that weather conditions were not used in irrigation decision-making as much as desirable and that weather forecast uncertainty was not explicitly considered. , We incorporated weather forecasts as a perfect forecast and the best available forecast. We used probability percentiles to incorporate forecast uncertainty into decision-making. The research hypothesis was that through utilising risk profiles of factors that influence environmental and economic outcomes of irrigation decisions, farmers could improve decison-makingwhen faced with uncertain future weather states. When weather forecasts were integrated into irrigation decision-making, there were environmental and economic benefits relative to a simple deficit-based irrigation decision rule. Based on a case study, we predicted 5% additional profit (approximately, $200 per hectare) may be possible when the best available forecasts was used relative to a simple deficit-based decision rule, and a further 1% profit if forecast uncertainty was considered.
{"title":"Incorporating weather forecasts into risk-based irrigation decision-making","authors":"C. Muller, M. Neal, T. Carey‐Smith, J. Luttrell, MS. Srinivasan","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1936907","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1936907","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Irrigation decision-making is complex. It requires balancing multiple risks . We examined if incorporation of weather forecasts into irrigation decision-making improved environmental and economic outcomes on dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand. We focused on understanding how farmers can manage irrigation decision-making with uncertain weather forecasts, and the associated impacts on drainage, pasture growth and economics. Previous work had demonstrated that weather conditions were not used in irrigation decision-making as much as desirable and that weather forecast uncertainty was not explicitly considered. , We incorporated weather forecasts as a perfect forecast and the best available forecast. We used probability percentiles to incorporate forecast uncertainty into decision-making. The research hypothesis was that through utilising risk profiles of factors that influence environmental and economic outcomes of irrigation decisions, farmers could improve decison-makingwhen faced with uncertain future weather states. When weather forecasts were integrated into irrigation decision-making, there were environmental and economic benefits relative to a simple deficit-based irrigation decision rule. Based on a case study, we predicted 5% additional profit (approximately, $200 per hectare) may be possible when the best available forecasts was used relative to a simple deficit-based decision rule, and a further 1% profit if forecast uncertainty was considered.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"159 - 172"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1936907","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49141979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-26DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1917097
M. Colloff, R. Grafton, John F. Williams
ABSTRACT We examine the impediments to scientific integrity with an analysis of the water science-policy interface for the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. We highlight the dangers to the public interest of ‘administrative capture’ of science, whereby scientists are incentivised to narrow or close down the scientific questions asked, the debates on evidence and the scientific dialogue so to support predetermined policy actions. Administrative capture of science is not intended to be objective or disinterested and contributes to a diminution of trust in science and scientists. Using an integrative theoretical framework for analysis of the different stances taken by scientists in science–policy interactions, we show how scientists as Issue Advocates have sought to limit debate and the options available in relation to water reform in the MDB. We provide six possible actions to reduce administrative capture that encourages scientists to become Issue Advocates. These actions include procedural, professional, evaluative, judicial, instrumental and external controls that support scientific integrity by individuals and agencies that use and/or undertake publicly funded research.
{"title":"Scientific integrity, public policy and water governance in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia","authors":"M. Colloff, R. Grafton, John F. Williams","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1917097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1917097","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We examine the impediments to scientific integrity with an analysis of the water science-policy interface for the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. We highlight the dangers to the public interest of ‘administrative capture’ of science, whereby scientists are incentivised to narrow or close down the scientific questions asked, the debates on evidence and the scientific dialogue so to support predetermined policy actions. Administrative capture of science is not intended to be objective or disinterested and contributes to a diminution of trust in science and scientists. Using an integrative theoretical framework for analysis of the different stances taken by scientists in science–policy interactions, we show how scientists as Issue Advocates have sought to limit debate and the options available in relation to water reform in the MDB. We provide six possible actions to reduce administrative capture that encourages scientists to become Issue Advocates. These actions include procedural, professional, evaluative, judicial, instrumental and external controls that support scientific integrity by individuals and agencies that use and/or undertake publicly funded research.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"121 - 140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1917097","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49122054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-19DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1917098
Kirsty Howey, L. Grealy
ABSTRACT Drinking water security has been a neglected issue in Australian water reform. This article considers Australia’s chief water policy of the past two decades, the National Water Initiative, and its aim to provide healthy, safe, and reliable water supplies. Taking the Northern Territory as a case study, we describe how despite significant policy and research attention, the NWI has failed to ensure drinking water security in Indigenous communities in the NT, where water supply remains largely unregulated. The article describes shortcomings of legislated drinking water protections, the recent history of Commonwealth water policy, and areas where national reforms have not been satisfactorily undertaken in the NT. We aim to highlight key regulatory areas that require greater attention in NT water research and, more specifically, in the Productivity Commission’s ongoing inquiry process.
{"title":"Drinking water security: the neglected dimension of Australian water reform","authors":"Kirsty Howey, L. Grealy","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1917098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1917098","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Drinking water security has been a neglected issue in Australian water reform. This article considers Australia’s chief water policy of the past two decades, the National Water Initiative, and its aim to provide healthy, safe, and reliable water supplies. Taking the Northern Territory as a case study, we describe how despite significant policy and research attention, the NWI has failed to ensure drinking water security in Indigenous communities in the NT, where water supply remains largely unregulated. The article describes shortcomings of legislated drinking water protections, the recent history of Commonwealth water policy, and areas where national reforms have not been satisfactorily undertaken in the NT. We aim to highlight key regulatory areas that require greater attention in NT water research and, more specifically, in the Productivity Commission’s ongoing inquiry process.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"111 - 120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1917098","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45005676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-02DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1897926
Bradley J. Moggridge, R. Thompson
ABSTRACT Water is a critical issue for governments and community in an Australian context, and internationally. First Peoples of Australia, its Indigenous peoples, have over 65,000 years of connection and understanding of water, held by more than 250 distinct Indigenous Nations that occur from the wet tropics, through desert country and south to the temperate zone, river lands and alpine regions. The value of water is central to Indigenous peoples’ being and culture, but since European colonisation in 1788, water has been subject to pumping, storage, diversion, extraction and pollution and without Indigenous people’s council. Most recently, water has been attributed a market value to sell and trade on a market that moves up and down with availability (drought, flood or in-between). Indigenous peoples have very small water entitlements despite the high value they place on water and the strong connection water has to their sense of identity, spirituality and culture. There is both a need and a great opportunity for Indigenous people to uphold and protect their water values through Indigenous-grounded methodologies or Indigenous-led water research, and so as to integrate Indigenous water knowledge into science and policy.
{"title":"Cultural value of water and western water management: an Australian Indigenous perspective","authors":"Bradley J. Moggridge, R. Thompson","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1897926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1897926","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Water is a critical issue for governments and community in an Australian context, and internationally. First Peoples of Australia, its Indigenous peoples, have over 65,000 years of connection and understanding of water, held by more than 250 distinct Indigenous Nations that occur from the wet tropics, through desert country and south to the temperate zone, river lands and alpine regions. The value of water is central to Indigenous peoples’ being and culture, but since European colonisation in 1788, water has been subject to pumping, storage, diversion, extraction and pollution and without Indigenous people’s council. Most recently, water has been attributed a market value to sell and trade on a market that moves up and down with availability (drought, flood or in-between). Indigenous peoples have very small water entitlements despite the high value they place on water and the strong connection water has to their sense of identity, spirituality and culture. There is both a need and a great opportunity for Indigenous people to uphold and protect their water values through Indigenous-grounded methodologies or Indigenous-led water research, and so as to integrate Indigenous water knowledge into science and policy.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"4 - 14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1897926","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42404480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-02DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1921331
Ilisapeci Lyons, M. Barber
ABSTRACT This paper documents Indigenous Traditional Owners’ water values, rights, and interests from the Mitchell catchment in North Queensland. It is the first analysis of the catchment that links Indigenous water values, rights and interests with specific water resource assessment and development considerations. The paper highlights how relational and reciprocal values frame Traditional Owner responsibilities and obligations through water across generations, across geography, to places, and with the non-human and spiritual entities living on their traditional lands. This ethos of relatedness shapes the way Indigenous peoples want to be engaged in water assessments and planning processes – such processes must focus first on local and regional relationships, where Indigenous actors are central to the coordination of a wider multi-interest governance process. Relatedness relies on building trust, continuous learning, and communication to encompass different values amongst people who are inter-dependent in their use of and relationship with water. Traditional Owners are seeking new platforms that bring multiple knowledges to water resource assessments and planning processes – where Indigenous ways of knowing are included with science, policy, industry, conservation, and community knowledges into an adaptive process focused on long-term sustainability.
{"title":"Relatedness and co-existence in water resource assessments: Indigenous water values, rights and interests in the Mitchell catchment, North Queensland","authors":"Ilisapeci Lyons, M. Barber","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1921331","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1921331","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper documents Indigenous Traditional Owners’ water values, rights, and interests from the Mitchell catchment in North Queensland. It is the first analysis of the catchment that links Indigenous water values, rights and interests with specific water resource assessment and development considerations. The paper highlights how relational and reciprocal values frame Traditional Owner responsibilities and obligations through water across generations, across geography, to places, and with the non-human and spiritual entities living on their traditional lands. This ethos of relatedness shapes the way Indigenous peoples want to be engaged in water assessments and planning processes – such processes must focus first on local and regional relationships, where Indigenous actors are central to the coordination of a wider multi-interest governance process. Relatedness relies on building trust, continuous learning, and communication to encompass different values amongst people who are inter-dependent in their use of and relationship with water. Traditional Owners are seeking new platforms that bring multiple knowledges to water resource assessments and planning processes – where Indigenous ways of knowing are included with science, policy, industry, conservation, and community knowledges into an adaptive process focused on long-term sustainability.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"57 - 69"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1921331","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44244305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-02DOI: 10.1080/13241583.2021.1932280
N. Hall, H. Grodecki, G. Jackson, Carroll Go Sam, Brad Milligan, Chris Blake, T. Veronese, L. Selvey
ABSTRACT Safe drinking water provision in remote Australian Indigenous communities can raise many challenges. An initiative to enhance drinking water treatment was piloted in Australia’s remote Torres Strait Islands. It was co-designed through close involvement of Torres Strait Islander local government officers and water operators. Data collection and analysis was undertaken independent researchers to assess the effectiveness of the pilot, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative sources, including field visits to the two Torres Strait Islands. The findings identified three key features for an effective programme of safe water delivery: appropriate infrastructure that is ‘fit for purpose, place and people’; mentoring and technical support for remotely located water operators, and cooperation across relevant state and local government agencies. The pilot initiative has adaptive potential for other remote communities and for other basic services, including wastewater treatment and solid waste management.
{"title":"Drinking water delivery in the outer Torres Strait Islands: A case study addressing sustainable water issues in remote Indigenous communities","authors":"N. Hall, H. Grodecki, G. Jackson, Carroll Go Sam, Brad Milligan, Chris Blake, T. Veronese, L. Selvey","doi":"10.1080/13241583.2021.1932280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2021.1932280","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Safe drinking water provision in remote Australian Indigenous communities can raise many challenges. An initiative to enhance drinking water treatment was piloted in Australia’s remote Torres Strait Islands. It was co-designed through close involvement of Torres Strait Islander local government officers and water operators. Data collection and analysis was undertaken independent researchers to assess the effectiveness of the pilot, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative sources, including field visits to the two Torres Strait Islands. The findings identified three key features for an effective programme of safe water delivery: appropriate infrastructure that is ‘fit for purpose, place and people’; mentoring and technical support for remotely located water operators, and cooperation across relevant state and local government agencies. The pilot initiative has adaptive potential for other remote communities and for other basic services, including wastewater treatment and solid waste management.","PeriodicalId":51870,"journal":{"name":"Australasian Journal of Water Resources","volume":"25 1","pages":"80 - 89"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/13241583.2021.1932280","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46141885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}