The following documents/links provide information on model frameworks for water management programs, derived in large part from recent State initiatives under the Australian Water Reform Agenda.

These documents are being progressively developed, in the anticipation that they may be useful for Australian policy-makers, and other nation-states looking for guidance on developing their own programs. These frameworks assume that a nation-state has a two-tier (or three-tier) government structure: a national (or State) government supported by local or provincial governments.

The essential thinking behind the model frameworks envisages a tiered management framework involving a key statute (eg: a Water Act) supporting a more detailed and flexible State Policy (eg: a State Water Plan), supporting in turn regional (catchment) management plans, which interlock with local government planning frameworks through specific statutory links.  The whole planning system is driven by the high-level objectives and principles of the main Act. 

These objectives and principles are reflected in more detailed objectives and principles of the sectoral Acts.  Further down the tier, management plans must seek to incorporate and further these objectives and principles.  Moreover, all relevant Acts create duties on decision-makers involved in statutory functions to seek to further the objectives and principles set out by the Acts.

1.  DOC: Model framework: Introductory paper.  Word97; 40 kbytes.

2.  DOC: Dr Gerry Bates: notes on natural resource management statutes. Word97; 80 kbytes.

3.  DOC:  Model statutory objectives and principles applicable to whole-of-government natural resource management, and to water management within that framework.  HTML; 80 kbytes.

4.  DOC:  Model framework for a Catchment Management Plan.  HTML; 40 kbytes.

5. DOC:  Model framework for a Water Allocation Plan. HTML; 40 kbytes.

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