ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on water reform of agricultural and rural change. It discusses the Australian water management reforms that have taken place over the last 50 years, noticing how they reflect the changed status of agriculture in Australia. The chapter explains the historical importance of water access and irrigation development to the establishment of Australian agriculture, and highlights the increased importance that water management has within Australian society and politics. It outlines the key governance arrangements concerning water ownership and management in Australia, with a particular focus on the Victorian context, recognising the significant change brought about by the entrance of the Commonwealth Government into water management. The effect of constitutional arrangements is of further contemporary relevance given the difficulties associated with managing inter-jurisdictional river systems. The chapter presents case study of one irrigation area, Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District, Victoria, to illustrate the ways in which the macro-political changes.
