Water Plans or Water Planning

Production of comprehensive water plans has largely been replaced by the development of planning frameworks which are designed to be responsive and flexible to user needs while, at the same time, recognising long-term government objectives. The paper outlines how recent policy changes including the necessity for increased business-orientation and deregulation of the water and associated industries, have influenced responses to resource management issues. These issues cover integrated catchment management, salinity control, flooding, drainage and water logging, water resource development and environmental management. The environmental responses evident from previous water management and political decisions, and from the emerging broader global changes, now have to be accommodated within ongoing water planning. Examples of how these issues could be dealt with are provided within a water resource management context.