ABSTRACT
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) research shows that Australian irrigators have increased water use efficiency at a rate that is at least double the rate observable in other parts of the OECD. In the decade from 1991 to 2001, Australia reduced water use per hectare by 50 per cent while only reducing the area under irrigation by 6 per cent. The purpose of this chapter is to explore some of the reasons why this has occurred and, more specifically, explore the role of technology in helping to bring about this dramatic increase in the technical efficiency of water use.
