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| Western Australia Department of Water | |
|---|---|
| Name | Department of Water (Western Australia) |
| Formed | 1980s |
| Preceding1 | Water Authority of Western Australia |
| Dissolved | 2017 (functions merged) |
| Superseding | Department of Water and Environmental Regulation |
| Jurisdiction | Perth, Western Australia; Western Australia |
| Headquarters | Perth, Western Australia |
| Employees | 800 (approx.) |
| Minister1 name | Minister for Water |
Western Australia Department of Water The Western Australia Department of Water was a state public agency responsible for water resource management in Western Australia and the Perth metropolitan area. It operated alongside agencies such as the Water Corporation (Western Australia), the Department of Environment Regulation (Western Australia), and the Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia), advising ministers and implementing policies on allocation, licensing, planning and science. The agency’s remit intersected with entities including the National Water Commission, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and regional bodies like the Narrogin Water Board.
The Department evolved from predecessors including the Water Authority of Western Australia and policy offices established under cabinets led by premiers such as Sir Charles Court and Carmen Lawrence. Its statutory functions were shaped by legislation like the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 and influenced by inquiries into the Ord River Scheme, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, and water security responses following events such as the Millennium Drought and the 2000s Perth desalination expansions. Administrative reorganisations in the 2000s and the 2017 amalgamation into the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation reflected reform agendas promoted by premiers including Colin Barnett.
The Department’s core duties encompassed water allocation, licensing, groundwater and surface water monitoring, and catchment planning across regions such as the Kimberley (Western Australia), Gascoyne, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance, and the South West (Western Australia). It provided technical advice to ministers, coordinated with infrastructure providers like the Water Corporation (Western Australia) and irrigation cooperatives involved with the Ord River Irrigation Area, and supported major schemes including the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme and the Kwinana Desalination Plant. Scientific programs partnered with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, and academic institutions such as The University of Western Australia and Curtin University.
The Department reported to the Minister for Water (Western Australia) and was organised into divisions responsible for regional operations, water science, policy and planning, and licensing. Regional offices corresponded to administrative districts aligned with councils like the Shire of Broome, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River. Executive leadership liaised with statutory bodies including the Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia) and advisory panels comprising representatives from the WA Farmers Federation, the Water Services Association of Australia, and indigenous bodies such as the Aboriginal Land Council of Western Australia.
Regulatory activity was grounded in the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 and complemented by policy instruments developed after reviews by commissions such as the National Water Commission and the Productivity Commission (Australia). The Department implemented allocation plans, licensing regimes, and compliance programs that interfaced with federal measures like the Water Act 2007 and state strategies such as the State Water Strategy adopted under premiers including Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter. Environmental approvals required coordination with the Department of Environment Regulation (Western Australia) and the Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia) for matters relating to wetlands including the Peel-Harvey Estuary.
Major initiatives included catchment-scale planning in the Swan Coastal Plain, groundwater replenishment trials near Beenyup, support for desalination infrastructure including the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant at Kwinana Power Station, and participation in interstate efforts like the Murray-Darling Basin Plan discussions on water reform. The Department managed programs targeting salinity mitigation influenced by studies from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, urban water efficiency campaigns connected to the Waterwise program, and regional water supply projects in the Kimberley and Pilbara to support mining operations such as those by Rio Tinto and BHP.
Stakeholders included state agencies like the Water Corporation (Western Australia), local governments including the City of Perth, industry groups such as the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, environmental NGOs like the Western Australian Conservation Council, and research partners such as Murdoch University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Indigenous engagement involved organisations including the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia) and regional native title bodies like the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation. Funding and policy alignment required interaction with the Australian Government and national bodies such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Performance reporting was subject to state audit mechanisms via the Auditor General of Western Australia and parliamentary oversight through committees of the Parliament of Western Australia. Criticisms targeted water allocation outcomes in agricultural regions, responses to salinity and acid sulfate soil issues in catchments like the Avon River (Western Australia), and perceived tensions between resource development proponents such as Woodside Petroleum and environmental advocates including Friends of the Earth Australia. Reviews by the Productivity Commission (Australia) and debates in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia informed reforms leading to the 2017 machinery-of-government changes.
Category:Water management in Western Australia Category:Defunct government agencies of Western Australia