international actions on climate change (Paris Agreement) and is implementing
national policies to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change
(Australian Government 2018). The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global
response to the threat of climate change by ensuring global temperature rise this
century is below 2
C above pre-industrial levels (UNFCCC 2015). For Australia, its
rapidly changing climate is already impacting agricultural producers in both QLD
and NSW through prolonged dry periods, unseasonable hot temperatures and
unpredictable (and often low) rainfall pattern. Further, uncoordinated policy development and conflicting regulation that often does not consider or incorporate climate
change provide additional challenges for food and fibre producers in both States.
7.3 Nexus Regulatory Frameworks
7.3.1 Integration vs. Separation
Like other developed economies, Australia not only struggles with the impact of
climate change but also lacks an integrated water-energy-food regulatory and policy
framework. Water resources are managed separately to energy and food production
at both Federal and State level, thereby creating contradicting policy directives that
are often leading to inefficient and costly operational outcomes for food and fibre
producers in both QLD and NSW. The lack of an integrated nexus framework is
easily observable on a national level, where ‘water resources’ are managed jointly
with agriculture but not with ‘energy’ (Australian Government 2018a). Instead,
‘energy’ is jointly managed with ‘environmental matters’, including climate change.
A different separation of portfolio responsibilities exists on a State level (NSW)
where ‘water resources’ are managed together with ‘industry and lands’ (NSW
Department of Industry 2018a) as well as the ‘environment and heritage’ (NSW
OEH 2018), whilst ‘energy’ is managed jointly with ‘resources’ and ‘planning’
(NSW DPE 2018a). The absence of an integrated approach to the water-energyfood nexus on both the Federal and State level has challenged Australian agricultural
producers who are caught between competing policy objectives and numerous
regulatory responsibilities.
7.4 National Water Resource Regulation
The regulation and management of water resources has been a contentious issue in
Australia since pre-federation times. When the six separate self-governing colonies
of QLD, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia united to
form the Commonwealth of Australia, there was considerable debate as to which
powers should be vested in the Federal Government and which powers should
remain with the States. After extensive negotiations, it was decided that the States
should retain control over the administration, management and allocation of water
90
S. Schulte et al.
national policies to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change
(Australian Government 2018). The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global
response to the threat of climate change by ensuring global temperature rise this
century is below 2
C above pre-industrial levels (UNFCCC 2015). For Australia, its
rapidly changing climate is already impacting agricultural producers in both QLD
and NSW through prolonged dry periods, unseasonable hot temperatures and
unpredictable (and often low) rainfall pattern. Further, uncoordinated policy development and conflicting regulation that often does not consider or incorporate climate
change provide additional challenges for food and fibre producers in both States.
7.3 Nexus Regulatory Frameworks
7.3.1 Integration vs. Separation
Like other developed economies, Australia not only struggles with the impact of
climate change but also lacks an integrated water-energy-food regulatory and policy
framework. Water resources are managed separately to energy and food production
at both Federal and State level, thereby creating contradicting policy directives that
are often leading to inefficient and costly operational outcomes for food and fibre
producers in both QLD and NSW. The lack of an integrated nexus framework is
easily observable on a national level, where ‘water resources’ are managed jointly
with agriculture but not with ‘energy’ (Australian Government 2018a). Instead,
‘energy’ is jointly managed with ‘environmental matters’, including climate change.
A different separation of portfolio responsibilities exists on a State level (NSW)
where ‘water resources’ are managed together with ‘industry and lands’ (NSW
Department of Industry 2018a) as well as the ‘environment and heritage’ (NSW
OEH 2018), whilst ‘energy’ is managed jointly with ‘resources’ and ‘planning’
(NSW DPE 2018a). The absence of an integrated approach to the water-energyfood nexus on both the Federal and State level has challenged Australian agricultural
producers who are caught between competing policy objectives and numerous
regulatory responsibilities.
7.4 National Water Resource Regulation
The regulation and management of water resources has been a contentious issue in
Australia since pre-federation times. When the six separate self-governing colonies
of QLD, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia united to
form the Commonwealth of Australia, there was considerable debate as to which
powers should be vested in the Federal Government and which powers should
remain with the States. After extensive negotiations, it was decided that the States
should retain control over the administration, management and allocation of water
90
S. Schulte et al.