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| Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (Western Australia) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (Western Australia) |
| Formed | 2017 |
| Preceding1 | Department of Water |
| Preceding2 | Department of Environment Regulation |
| Jurisdiction | Western Australia |
| Headquarters | Perth, Western Australia |
| Region code | AU-WA |
| Parent agency | Government of Western Australia |
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (Western Australia)
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation operates in Perth, Western Australia, delivering water management, pollution control, and conservation services across the state, and interacting with agencies such as the Government of Western Australia, Western Australian Planning Commission, Public Transport Authority of Western Australia, Western Power, and Water Corporation (Western Australia). Formed through machinery-of-government changes, the agency draws on precedents in the Department of Water (Western Australia), Department of Environment Regulation (Western Australia), Minister for Environment (Western Australia), Minister for Water (Western Australia), and engages with statutes like the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (Western Australia) and the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914. The department's remit crosses portfolios linked to the Swan River Trust, Conservation and Land Management Act 1984, Kimberley programs, Goldfields-Esperance projects, and national frameworks involving the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and National Water Commission precedents.
The department's establishment in 2017 followed administrative reorganization influenced by earlier entities including the Department of Water (Western Australia), the Department of Environment Regulation (Western Australia), and policy decisions by cabinets led by premiers such as Colin Barnett and Mark McGowan, with ministers like Albert Jacob (politician) and Stephen Dawson (politician) shaping transitional arrangements. Its lineage traces to colonial-era offices that responded to challenges recorded in the Swan River Colony era and later reforms prompted by events such as the Perth water crisis and inquiries similar in scope to the Oakajee Port and Rail project reviews. Over time the department absorbed functions from agencies associated with the Conservation Commission of Western Australia and coordinated with bodies like the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation during program development.
The department administers water allocation and licensing under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, pollution regulation under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (Western Australia), contaminated sites management reflecting principles from the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 (Western Australia), and biodiversity considerations linked to the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (Western Australia). It issues licences affecting utilities such as the Water Corporation (Western Australia), regulates waste and recycling aligned with policy concerns raised in the National Waste Policy (Australia), and supports catchment planning in regions like the Swan Coastal Plain, Gascoyne, Pilbara, and Kimberley. The department provides scientific advice to ministers, liaises with research institutions such as University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University, and contributes to national forums including the Council of Australian Governments water reform discussions and the Murray–Darling Basin Authority-related dialogues.
The department is organized into branches reflecting water resource management, environmental regulation, compliance and enforcement, science and monitoring, and corporate services, and it reports to ministers for environment and water within the Government of Western Australia cabinet structure. Its governance includes executive roles comparable to those in agencies such as the Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia), board-style arrangements akin to the Swan River Trust model, and interfaces with statutory offices like the State Solicitor's Office (Western Australia)]. Regional offices serve areas including Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance, and South West (Western Australia), collaborating with local governments such as the City of Perth and shires across the state.
Primary statutory instruments include the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (Western Australia), the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 (Western Australia), the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (Western Australia), and associated regulations and policies shaped by the Western Australian Planning Commission and strategies referenced in documents like the State Water Plan (Western Australia). The department enforces compliance through mechanisms that mirror enforcement approaches used by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in regulatory practice, coordinates approvals involving the Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia), and contributes to intergovernmental instruments such as COAG-era water reform agreements and Commonwealth frameworks under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Key programs encompass water licensing and allocation reforms related to the Gnangara Mound and Perth Basin groundwater, drinking water source protection comparable to initiatives seen in Melbourne Water and Sydney Water jurisdictions, contaminated site remediation projects in former industrial districts like Kwinana, and waste reduction efforts aligned with the Council of Australian Governments waste targets. The department runs monitoring networks paralleling systems used by the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), river restoration projects on the Swan River (Western Australia), and conservation partnerships for species listed under frameworks similar to the EPBC Act. It also implements climate resilience and adaptation actions that interface with state strategies such as the Western Australian Climate Policy and infrastructure programs like the Metronet planning processes.
The agency engages with Aboriginal representative bodies including the Noongar, Yamatji, and Kimberley Land Council, collaborates with research partners such as CSIRO, University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University, and coordinates with federal entities including the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australia). It consults industry groups like the Master Builders Association of Western Australia and peak bodies such as the Western Australian Farmers Federation, works with utilities including Water Corporation (Western Australia) and Horizon Power, and liaises with conservation NGOs like the Australian Conservation Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia.
The department has faced critiques on water allocation decisions reminiscent of disputes in the Murray–Darling Basin context, contested environmental approvals similar to debates over the James Price Point and Browse LNG project, and scrutiny regarding contaminated-site management in industrial precincts comparable to controversies in Kwinana and legacy mining areas like Kalgoorlie. Stakeholders have challenged regulatory enforcement and perceived transparency issues in processes echoing tensions seen in reviews of the Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia), and proponents of resource development have clashed with conservation groups such as the Australian Conservation Foundation and local Indigenous organizations during project assessments.
Category:Environmental agencies of Western Australia Category:Water management agencies in Australia