Reform the Rights in Water and Irrigation (RIWI) Act 1914 to make it consistent with the National Water Initiative (soon to be the National Water Agreement) by legislating a new Water Act that:
- gives statutory recognition of water for environmental and public benefit outcomes;
- legislates strong protections for our water resources and water dependent environmental assets;
- develops enforceable water quality guidelines;
- establishes robust and consistent monitoring and accounting of water use and environmental water outcomes with sufficient resources to DWER to fulfil its monitoring and compliance role;
- introduces statutory long-term water entitlements and a clear legislative framework for assigning risk for potential future reductions in the availability of water for consumption;
- enshrines the inclusion of Aboriginal peoples in water planning and decision making, with consent that is free, prior and informed;
- initiates joint decision making that considers the cultural, spiritual and environmental impacts to water and the whole environment; and
- deeply embeds the precautionary principles in all decisions made about water.