In 2020, the Government introduced a package of reforms called Essential Freshwater to protect and restore lakes, rivers and wetlands.
The reforms were designed to make immediate improvements to freshwater quality and reverse past damage by bringing freshwater resources, waterways and ecosystems to a healthy state within a generation. They included new regulatory measures that placed the health of waterways at the centre of decisions about freshwater and set our farming practices on a more sustainable track. The reforms were backed by $407 million in funding.
In 2020, the Government introduced a package of reforms called Essential Freshwater to protect and restore lakes, rivers and wetlands.
The reforms were designed to make immediate improvements to freshwater quality and reverse past damage by bringing freshwater resources, waterways and ecosystems to a healthy state within a generation. They included new regulatory measures that placed the health of waterways at the centre of decisions about freshwater and set our farming practices on a more sustainable track. The reforms were backed by $407 million in funding.
This progress report:
- updates progress on Essential Freshwater actions and initiatives
- presents insights on progress of freshwater management since the Essential Freshwater package was introduced, with case studies to support these insights.