The Evolution of Water Legislation in Australia

As water at its core still remains fleeting and its supply independent, water rights and the associated trade in such rights depend on a set of institutional and legislative frameworks. In this light, it is important to appreciate the history of water legislation. This chapter, in complementing Chapter 10, gives a short history of water legislation in Australia - from its place in the colonization of the country to modern multiagency management of the Murray Darling Basin. As the demand for water moves from an immature phase of abundance to a mature phase of scarcity and degradation, water law must also evolve. There has been a raft of progressive legislation in the development of water management in Australia. This chapter will touch on those key pieces which moulded the formation of water law in the eastern states of Australia.