When the billabong runs dry - A review of the Australian water industry

The billions of dollars being spent on new water infrastructure in Australia is in response to the twin drivers of ongoing drought and population growth. An overview is presented of population forecasts, demands for water from the urban, industrial and agricultural sectors, surface water and groundwater resources, the drought of the last decade and its impact on yields and reserves. For the three eastern seaboard states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria the infrastructural and water policy responses to this overview are described , and some commentary provided on the appropriateness of the responses and the lessons that New Zealand could learn from current events in the Australian water industry.