IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/acb/agenda/v16y2009i1p5-24.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Two Decades of Murray-Darling Water Management: A River of Funding, a Trickle of Achievement

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa Yu-Ting Lee
  • Tihomir Ancev

Abstract

The paper appraises the myriad of Murray-Darling Basin-related policies since the early 1990s. It contends that significant environmental improvements could have been achieved at substantially lower cost had decisive action been taken earlier. If the total expenditures in the last two decades had been put solely towards water entitlement buy-backs, an amount of water several times that necessary to significantly improve the health of the Basin would have been acquired.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa Yu-Ting Lee & Tihomir Ancev, 2009. "Two Decades of Murray-Darling Water Management: A River of Funding, a Trickle of Achievement," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 5-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:acb:agenda:v:16:y:2009:i:1:p:5-24
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p88211/pdf/agenda-16-01-AR-1.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Quiggin, 2006. "Repurchase of renewal rights: a policy option for the National Water Initiative ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 50(3), pages 425-435, September.
    2. R. Quentin Grafton & Michael B. Ward, 2008. "Prices versus Rationing: Marshallian Surplus and Mandatory Water Restrictions," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(s1), pages 57-65, September.
    3. Randall, Alan, 1981. "Property Entitlements And Pricing Policies For A Maturing Water Economy," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 25(3), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Alan Randall, 1981. "Property Entitlements And Pricing Policies For A Maturing Water Economy," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 25(3), pages 195-220, December.
    5. Bjornlund, Henning, 2003. "Farmer participation in markets for temporary and permanent water in southeastern Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 57-76, November.
    6. Quiggin, John C., 2001. "Environmental economics and the Murray-Darling river system," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 45(1), pages 1-28.
    7. Jeff Bennett (ed.), 2005. "The Evolution of Markets for Water," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3836, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marshall, Graham R., 2013. "Transaction Costs, Collective Action And Adaptation In Managing Social-Ecological Systems," 2013 Conference (57th), February 5-8, 2013, Sydney, Australia 152166, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    2. Sarah Ann Wheeler, 2022. "Debunking Murray‐Darling Basin water trade myths," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(4), pages 797-821, October.
    3. Neal Hughes & Manannan Donoghoe & Linden Whittle, 2020. "Farm Level Effects of On‐Farm Irrigation Infrastructure Programs in the Southern Murray–Darling Basin," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(4), pages 494-516, December.
    4. R. Quentin Grafton, 2010. "How to Increase the Cost-effectiveness of Water Reform and Environmental Flows in the Murray-Darling Basin," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 17(2), pages 17-40.
    5. Wheeler, Sarah & Bjornlund, Henning & Zuo, Alec & Shanahan, Martin, 2010. "The changing profile of water traders in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District, Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(9), pages 1333-1343, September.
    6. Juliane Haensch & Sarah Ann Wheeler & Alec Zuo, 2021. "Explaining permanent and temporary water market trade patterns within local areas in the southern Murray–Darling Basin," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 65(2), pages 318-348, April.
    7. Garrick, Dustin & Whitten, Stuart M. & Coggan, Anthea, 2013. "Understanding the evolution and performance of water markets and allocation policy: A transaction costs analysis framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 195-205.
    8. Grafton, Rupert Quentin, 2019. "Policy review of water reform in the Murray– Darling Basin, Australia: the “do’s” and “do’nots”," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(1), January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John Quiggin & David Adamson & Sarah Chambers & Peggy Schrobback, 2010. "Climate Change, Uncertainty, and Adaptation: The Case of Irrigated Agriculture in the Murray–Darling Basin in Australia," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 58(4), pages 531-554, December.
    2. Freebairn, John W., 2003. "Economic policy for rural and regional Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(3), pages 1-26, September.
    3. Ancev, Tiho, 2015. "The role of the commonwealth environmental water holder in annual water allocation markets," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 59(1), January.
    4. Mallawaarachchi, Thilak & Auricht, Christopher & Loch, Adam & Adamson, David & Quiggin, John, 2020. "Water allocation in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin: Managing change under heightened uncertainty," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 345-369.
    5. Alauddin, Mohammad & Quiggin, John, 2008. "Agricultural intensification, irrigation and the environment in South Asia: Issues and policy options," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 111-124, March.
    6. Stephen Bell & John Quiggin, "undated". "The Metagovernance of Markets: The Politics of Water Management in Australia," Murray-Darling Program Working Papers WP6M06, Risk and Sustainable Management Group, University of Queensland.
    7. John Quiggin, 2006. "Repurchase of renewal rights: a policy option for the National Water Initiative ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 50(3), pages 425-435, September.
    8. Shi, Tian, 2006. "Simplifying complexity: Rationalising water entitlements in the Southern Connected River Murray System, Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 229-239, December.
    9. Fleming, Euan & Villano, Renato & Williamson, Brendon, 2013. "Structuring Exotic Options Contracts on Water to Improve the Efficiency of Resource Allocation in the Australian Water Market," Papers 234295, University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Land and Environment.
    10. Carlos Mario Gómez Gómez & C. D. Pérez-Blanco & David Adamson & Adam Loch, 2018. "Managing Water Scarcity at a River Basin Scale with Economic Instruments," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(01), pages 1-31, January.
    11. Bolinches, Antonio & Blanco-Gutiérrez, Irene & Zubelzu, Sergio & Esteve, Paloma & Gómez-Ramos, Almudena, 2022. "A method for the prioritization of water reuse projects in agriculture irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    12. Carlos Gómez & C. Pérez-Blanco, 2014. "Simple Myths and Basic Maths About Greening Irrigation," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(12), pages 4035-4044, September.
    13. Rosegrant, Mark W., 1997. "Water resources in the twenty-first century: challenges and implications for action," 2020 vision discussion papers 20, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Ansink, Erik & Weikard, Hans-Peter, 2009. "Contested water rights," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 247-260, June.
    15. Gomez-Limon, Jose Antonio & Berbel, Julio & Arriaza Balmón, Manuel, 2005. "MCDM Farm System Analysis for Public Management of Irrigated Agriculture," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24676, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Unknown, 2001. "Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Bangkok, Thailand 8 – 9 June 2001: Water Policy Reform: Lessons from Asia and Australia," ACIAR Proceedings Series 135378, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
    17. Abdeslam Boudhar & Said Boudhar & Aomar Ibourk, 2017. "An input–output framework for analysing relationships between economic sectors and water use and intersectoral water relationships in Morocco," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 6(1), pages 1-25, December.
    18. Quiggin, John & Adamson, David & Chambers, Sarah & Schrobback, Peggy, 2009. "Climate change, mitigation and adaptation: the case of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia," Risk and Sustainable Management Group Working Papers 149878, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    19. Lynne, Gary D. & Saarinen, Phyllis, 1993. "Melding Private And Public Interests In Water Rights Markets," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 25(1), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Deng, Xiaohong & Xu, Zhongmin & Song, Xiaoyu & Zhou, Jian, 2017. "Transaction costs associated with agricultural water trading in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 29-39.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:acb:agenda:v:16:y:2009:i:1:p:5-24. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feanuau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.