Policy Reforms – Roadblock or Pathways

to Irrigation Success

• Reliability of supply • modernisation• integrated dynamic network• new development

• Efficient Water Use• SMART Irrigators• transfer

• Land management• continuously evolving• ‘best can do’• accountable

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

• Infrastructure • governance & management• financing (market failure)

• Water use• measurement• transfer• efficiency incentives

• Land management• nutrient efficiency• improve “hot-spots”

ROADBLOCKS

• Water Measurement Regulations

• Irrigation Acceleration Fund

• Crown Irrigation Investments Limited

• Freshwater National Policy Statement

• RMA & Freshwater NPS reforms

POLICY DEVELOPMENTS TO DATE

Benefits• essential• good process

Challenges• implementation

• regional compliance interpretation• verification of meters• data management• ‘telling the story’

WATER MEASUREMENT REGULATION

Benefits• new level of scrutiny• proactive approach• lifted the game

Challenges• scheme discovery process• need to grow the fund• limited to infrastructure• ‘telling the story’

IRRIGATION ACCELERATION FUND

Benefits• scrutiny• reduce risk• provide for uptake gap• provide for over build

Challenges• CIIL discovery process• investment ready schemes• initial investment criteria• ‘telling the story’

CROWN IRRIGATION INVESTMENTS LTD

Benefits• sets framework

Challenges• interpretation

• values – which & weighting?• objectives – how & what?• limits – how & what?• manage within limits – how?

• Implementation• policy versus compliance• quantity – manageable• quality – voyage of discovery!

FRESHWATER NPS

Benefits• accounting• planning template• collaborative process• clarity (NOF)• focus ‘resource management’

Challenges• managing within limits• practical implementation

REFORMS – RMA & FRESHWATER NPS

FUTURE - MANAGING UNCERTAINTY

Enabling investment key - requires ‘relative’ certainty

The conundrum -• Measurement• Monitoring• Modelling

Challenge = fitting puzzle together

‘Incremental’ versus ‘shock’ change

Apportion risk to create ‘relative’ certainty within uncertainty

SUCCESSFUL CHANGE =

Collaboration - Policy - Implementation

Efficient & Effective

FUTURE - IMPLEMENTATION

Preparation Action Follow-up

FUTURE FOCUS

Policy Development• link to implementation &

other interventions

Compliance• consistent with policy

Uncertainty & Risk• apportion - create certainty

People• Critical path • Success = understand, see, do

Consistency• leadership• local adaption not creation