Australia's water is a highly variable resource. Managing it sustainably and productively is one of the great challenges facing us as we move into the future.
There are many opportunities to make better use of supplies of water that we have already developed, to employ new technology and infrastructure, improve and refine management practices and to draw on better information.
The $1.5 billion Australian Government's Water Smart Australia Program aimed to accelerate the development and uptake of smart technologies and practices in water use across Australia. The program also assists to advance the implementation of the National Water Initiative, Australia's enduring blueprint for national water reform.
The Water Smart Australia programme is closed and no future funding rounds are planned at this time.
Program Reviews
In 2009 the Australian National Audit Office conducted a performance audit of the administration of Water Smart Australia Program. The audit found Water Smart Australia projects were well managed and made no specific recommendations for the department to implement.
See Performance Audit Report No.21 2009-10 Administration of the Water Smart Australia Program
In 2012 GHD Pty Ltd conducted an end of program review of the effectiveness of the Water Smart Australia program. The review found that the Water Smart Australia program has delivered its defined outcomes and the vast majority of projects achieved their objectives.
See Review and lessons learnt of the Water Smart Australia program
Water Smart Australia projects by state
[expand all]
National
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Smart Approved WaterMark™ Scheme |
National |
$1,766,364 |
|
Magnitude of Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction |
National |
$1,350,000 |
|
Australian Riverprize |
National |
$1,000,000 |
|
River Reach Water Trading System |
National |
$2,277,918 |
Australian Capital Territory
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Canberra Urban Waterways Rehabilitation |
ACT |
$10,200,000 |
New South Wales
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Aquatic Weed Harvester |
NSW |
$500,000 |
|
Barraba to Split Rock Dam Water Pipeline Feasibility Study |
NSW |
$128,759 |
|
Bega to Yellow Pinch Dam Water Transfer System |
NSW |
$9,952,215 |
|
Berridale Sewage Treated Effluent Reuse at the Coolamatong Golf Course |
NSW |
$1,000,000 |
|
Braidwood Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade |
NSW |
$3,300,000 |
|
Braidwood Water Supply Augmentation |
NSW |
$700,000 |
|
Bungendore Water Supply Augmentation |
NSW |
$1,000,000 |
|
Chatswood CBD and Civic Place Stormwater Management |
NSW |
$2,379,998 |
|
Coleambally Water Efficiency and Metering |
NSW |
$7,205,692 |
|
Nimmitabel - Water Storage Project |
NSW |
$545,771 |
|
Goulburn Water Supply Pipeline |
NSW |
$20,000,000 |
|
Eurobodalla Water Supply Pipeline and Water Treatment Facilities |
NSW |
$14,999,997 |
|
Hunter and Gosford-Wyong Water Sharing |
NSW |
$6,610,000 |
|
Lake Brewster Dam Efficiency and Wetland Rehabilitation |
NSW |
$7,500,000 |
|
Mardi Mangrove Pipeline Link |
NSW |
$80,300,000 |
|
NSW Wetland Recovery Plan |
NSW |
$13,400,000 |
|
NSW Hydrometric Network Expansion |
NSW |
$5,949,016 |
|
NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program |
NSW |
$79,620,000 |
|
Pipeline NSW |
NSW |
$3,500,000 |
|
The Hawkesbury Nepean River Recovery Package |
NSW |
$66,107,030 |
|
Tumbarumba Water Treatment Plant Upgrade |
NSW |
$2,000,000 |
|
Tumut Golf Course Effluent Re-use Scheme |
NSW |
$500,000 |
|
Water Loss Management Program for NSW Regional Water Utilities |
NSW |
$4,122,050 |
|
Water Quality 2010 |
NSW |
$4,500,000 |
Northern Territory
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Water Resource Planning for Sustainable Development in Northern Australia |
NT |
$845,926 |
|
Gulf Water Study |
NT |
$866,000 |
Queensland
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Bundaberg Groundwater Rescue Feasibility Study |
Qld |
$227,273 |
|
Capturing Water Losses on the Gold |
Qld |
$3,150,000 |
|
Environmentally Smart and Sustainable Water Supply for the Capricorn Coast |
Qld |
$16,467,000 |
|
Mackay Wastewater Recycling |
Qld |
$45,543,706 |
|
Smart Metering and Sustainable Water Pricing Initiative |
Qld |
$2,549,829 |
|
Townsville Wastewater Diversion Pipeline |
Qld |
$34,073,401 |
|
Western Corridor Recycling Plant |
Qld |
$408,000,000 |
South Australia
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Advancing Knowledge of Groundwater in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Northern Adelaide Plains and Kangaroo Island |
SA |
$1,520,000 |
|
Environmental Water Trading System |
SA |
$705,000 |
|
Integrated Water Resource Management in the South East of South Australia |
SA |
$6,249,000 |
|
Implementation of the National Water Initiative in South Australia |
SA |
$12,885,590 |
|
Metropolitan Adelaide Major Irrigator's Storm Water Reuse |
SA |
$2,764,951 |
|
Central Irrigation Trust Remote Reading of Irrigation Water Meters |
SA |
$2,187,984 |
|
Restoring Flows to Wetlands in the Upper South-East of South Australia |
SA |
$7,699,937 |
|
Statewide Wastewater System Upgrades |
SA |
$17,699,936 |
|
Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Mount Lofty Ranges |
SA |
$13,900,000 |
|
Virginia Pipeline Scheme Extension |
SA |
$2,035,000 |
|
Waterproofing Northern Adelaide |
SA |
$38,000,000 |
|
Water Proofing the South - Stage 1 |
SA |
$34,500,000 |
Tasmania
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Agricultural Water Resource Planning |
Tas |
$2,253,945 |
|
Tasmanian Irrigation water use automatic data collection and management project |
Tas |
$5,750,672 |
Victoria
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Goldfields Superpipe to Bendigo and Ballarat |
Vic |
$89,500,000 |
|
Bendigo - Water Recycling |
Vic |
$6,300,000 |
|
Latrobe Aquifer Financial Assistance Package |
Vic |
$2,776,224 |
|
Macalister Irrigation District Channel Automation |
Vic |
$18,660,000 |
|
Warrnambool Roof Water Harvesting |
Vic |
$1,065,875 |
|
Restoring Unregulated Rivers Initiative |
Vic |
$3,170,000 |
|
Sustainable Ground Water Management |
Vic |
$4,250,000 |
|
Wimmera Mallee Pipeline |
Vic |
$266,000,000 |
Western Australia
|
Description |
Location |
Investment |
|---|---|---|
|
Craigie Groundwater Replenishment Trial (previously Beenyup) |
WA |
$19,400,000 |
|
Restoration of Groundwater Aquifer on the Cottesloe Peninsula |
WA |
$782,000 |
|
Water Planning in Western Australia |
WA |
$13,381,029 |
|
Wungong Urban Water Cycle |
WA |
$6,191,990 |