Water publications
Search water publications
Most publications are only available online. Hardcopies of publications marked Order printed copy can be ordered online.
Latest releases
- Environmental water allocated to sites in the Murray-Darling Basin 2008-09 - Fact sheet - 2009
- Two sites to receive environmental water at Yanga National Park - 2009
- Irrigation Modernisation Planning Assistance - Fact sheet - 2009
- National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns Competitive Grants Element - fact sheet - 2009
- Choosing a greywater system - Fact sheet - 2009
- Choosing the right sized rainwater tank - Fact Sheet - 2009
Government action
- Water Matters newsletter
- Council of Australian Governments' Water Reform Framework - 1994
- Development of the Technical Manual for Assessing Hotspots in Channel and Piped Irrigation Systems - project report - 2008
- Draft Guidelines for Managing Externalities - restoring the balance - 2000
- Draft National Water Policy Agenda - 2000
- Ecological assets of Northern Australia Study - final report - 2009
- Integrated Water Resource Management in Australia - 2004
- Irrigation Modernisation Planning Assistance - Fact sheet - 2009
- Irrigation Hotspots Project - Fact sheet - 2008
- Managing Australia's Water Resources - 2006
- National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative - Fact sheet - 2008
- National Water Initiative Water Trading Study Final Report - 2006
- Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment - Fact sheet - 2009
- Stormwater harvesting and reuse projects - Fact sheet - 2009
- Strengthening Basin Communities: Water saving initiatives - Fact sheet - 2009
- Technical manual for assessing hotspots in channel and piped irrigation systems - 2008
- Water for the Future Achievements - Fact sheet - 2009
See also Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin (water entitlement purchasing)
Murray-Darling Basin
- Contingency planning in the Murray-Darling Basin - Fact sheet - 21 December 2007
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority - Transition Fact sheet - 2008
- An economic survey of irrigation farms in the Murray-Darling Basin - 2008
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder - Fact sheet - 2008
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Frequently Asked Questions - 2008
- Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges (South Australia)
- First release of Commonwealth water for the environment - Fact sheet - 2009
- Guidelines for Irrigation Modernisation Planning Assistance
- CSIRO Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields reports
- Murray-Darling Basin dry inflow contingency planning February 2008
- Murray-Darling Basin dry inflow contingency planning September 2007
- Murray-Darling Basin dry inflow contingency planning: Update on water availability - June 2007
- Murray-Darling Basin dry inflow contingency planning May 2007
- Distribution, spread, ecological impacts and potential control of carp in the upper Murray River - 2007
- Murray-Darling Basin dry inflow contingency planning April 2007
- Murray-Darling Basin map - 2007
- A New Way of Managing the Murray-Darling Basin - 2009
- Status of Murray Cod in the Murray-Darling Basin - 2001
- Summit on the Southern Murray-Darling Basin 7 November 2006
- Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin Program
Water for the environment
- Australian natural resources data library
- Australian rivers and catchment condition (formerly wild rivers) database
- Freshwater related environmental management principles and guidelines - 2000
- International Year of Freshwater - 2003
- Australian Government Envirofund - helping Australians through the drought - 2003
- Freshwater: action on the Ground - 2002
- Freshwater Australia poster - 2003
- Incentive measures for conserving freshwater ecosystems - 2002
- International Year of Freshwater - 2003
- Managing Australia's Freshwater Resources - 2003
- Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Freshwater (2003) - 2002
- Message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the International Year of Freshwater (2003) - 2003
- Urban Water Use - 2003
- Water: a matter of life and death - 2002
- WaterYear 2003: international year aims to galvanize action on critical water problems - 2002
- Natural resources atlas
- Protecting Australia's rivers, wetlands and estuaries of high conservation value - 2005
Environmental water management
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder 2009-10 Business Plan - 2009
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder - Fact sheet - 2008
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Frequently Asked Questions - 2008
- Environmental water allocated to sites in the Murray-Darling Basin 2008-09 - Fact sheet - 2009
- Environmental watering at Lindsay Island - video - May 2009
- First release of Commonwealth water for the environment - Fact sheet - 2009
- Market-based opportunities to improve environmental flows: a scoping paper - 2000
- Six sites to receive environmental water in May and June - Fact sheet - 2009
- Two sites to receive environmental water at Yanga National Park - 2009
Aquatic ecosystems
- High Conservation Value Aquatic Ecosystems project - identifying, categorising and managing HCVAE - 2007
- Incentive measures for conserving freshwater ecosystems
- National principles for the provision of water for ecosystems - 1996
Estuaries
- A Physical Classification of Australian Estuaries
- Assessing the Ecological Health of Estuaries in Australia
- Estuarine Eutrophication Models
- Estuarine Health Assessment Using Benthic Macrofauna
- Protecting Australia's rivers, wetlands and estuaries of high conservation value - 2005
- SEEM (Simple Estuarine Eutrophication Models) User's Manual
- Simple Estuarine Response Model
- Environmental Water Requirements to Maintain Estuarine Processes - 2002
Groundwater
- Allocation and use of Groundwater - 1996
- Assessment of Groundwater Resources in the Broken Hill Region - 2008
- Associated off-farm economic values of saving water and restoring pressure in the Great Artesian Basin - 2008
- A Social Profile of the Great Artesian Basin - 2005
- Case Examples of Managing Overallocated Groundwater Systems - 2002
- Definition and approach to sustainable groundwater yield - 2004
- Farm costs, benefits and risks from bore capping and piping in the GAB
- Great Artesian Basin map - 2007
- Groundwater Quality Protection - 2002
- Groundwater Trading - 2002
- Impacts of land use change on groundwater resources - 2004
- Improved management and protection of groundwater dependent ecosystems - 2004
- Integrated groundwater - surface water management - 2004
- Knowledge gaps for groundwater reforms - 2004
- Landholder contributions to the GABSI - 2003
- Managing Overallocated Groundwater Systems - 2002
- Reporting jurisdictional progress on groundwater reforms - 2000
- Reporting jurisdictional progress on groundwater reforms: second report - 2001
- Review of the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative - 2003
- Water in a Dry Land - Issues and Challenges for Australia's Key Resource - 2000
- Water level response management as a micro-management tool - 2004
Rivers and basins
- National river health program: river health assessment toolbox
- A Guide to Diatoms as Indicators of Urban Stream Health
- A Review of the Conservation Status of Selected Australian Non-Marine Invertebrates - CD only (order printed copy) - 2003
- A Physical Classification of Australian Estuaries
- An Evaluation of the Use of AusRivAS Models for Urban Stream Assessment
- An overview of the conservation of Non-marine Invertebrates in Australia
- Assemblages of plants and invertebrate animals of tumulus (organic mound) springs of the Swan Coastal Plain
- Assessing the Ecological Health of Estuaries in Australia
- AusRivAS Protocol Development and Testing - 2002
- AusRivAS Training and Accreditation - Course Outline, Structure and Content - 2002
- Australian River Assessment System: AusRivAS Errors Analysis (Phase I Final Report) - 2002
- Australian River Assessment System: AusRivAS Errors Analysis - The Sensitivity of AusRivAS to Variations of Input Values, Low Natural Diversity, and Temporal Variation (Phase 2 Final Report)- 2003
- Australian River Assessment System: Improving AusRivAS Analytical Methods - ANNA Phase II - 2003
- Australian River Assessment System: Improving AusRivAS Analytical Methods - DDRMA and E-Ball (Phase I) - 2002
- Australian River Assessment System: Interpretation of the Outputs from AusRivAS (Milestone Report) - 2002
- Basic Decision Support System for Management of Urban Streams
- Basic Decision Support System for Management of Urban Streams Let's Fix Urban Streams
- Basic Decision Support System for Management for Management of Urban Streams, Report C - Pilot Studies in Brisbane
- Basic Decision Support System for Management of Urban Streams Software Manual
- Diatom Prediction and Classification System for Urban Streams
- Estuarine Eutrophication Models
- Estuarine Health Assessment Using Benthic Macrofauna
- Incentive Measures for Conserving Freshwater Ecosystems - 2002
- Integrated Water Resource Management in Australia: Case Studies - 2004
- Measuring the Health of our Rivers - 1996
- Monitoring of benthic invertebrates in Macquarie Harbour, Western Tasmania - 1996
- National River Health Program - The Urban Sub-Program
- Research Reports: Outcomes of the NRHP Urban Sub-Program
- Sediment Chemistry - Macroinvertebrate Fauna Relationships in Urban Streams
- SEEM (Simple Estuarine Eutrophication Models) User's Manual
- Simple Estuarine Response Model
- Toxicity assessment of waters from Macquarie Harbour, Western Tasmania, using algae, invertebrates and fish - 1996
- National river health program: river health bioassessment reports
- AusRivAS Physical Assessment Protocol - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Assessment of the Ecological Condition of Freshwater Streams in the Darwin Region - 2004
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Australian Capital Territory Bioassessment Report - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: NSW Bioassessment Report - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Northern Territory Status Report and Commentary - 2001
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: NT Bioassessment Report - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Tasmanian Bioassessment Report (TAS Final Report) - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Victorian Bioassessment Report (Final Report) - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Western Australian Bioassessment Report (WA Final Report) - 2002
- Development of AusRivAS Models for New South Wales - 2002
- Internal Quality Assurance and Quality Control for AusRivAS in New South Wales - 2002
- River Health in the New South Wales Lower North Coast, Hunter and Central Coast Catchments - 2004
- River Health in South Australia - 2003
- Support and Completion of Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health Models (Phase I) - 2002
- Support and Completion of Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health Models (Phase II) - 2002
- National river health program: river health monitoring data repository
- Australian River Assessment System: National guidelines for coding AusRivAS sites using unique identifiers - 2004
- Australian River Assessment System: National Guidelines for AusRivAS Metadata - 2004
- Australian River Assessment System: National Guidelines for Mapping AusRivAS Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Scores - 2004
- National river health program: river health monitoring protocols
- An Examination of an Aquatic Ecoregion Protocol for Australia - 1997
- Australian River Assessment System: Review of Physical River Assessment Methods - A Biological Perspective - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Australian Capital Territory AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: NSW AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: NT AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Queensland AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: SA AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: Tasmanian AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: VIC AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- Australia-Wide Assessment of River Health: WA AusRivAS Sampling and Processing Manual - 2002
- National River Health Program: AusRivAS Quality Assurance and Quality Control Project - 2004
- Australian River Assessment System: AusRivAS Physical and Chemical Assessment Module - 2002
- National River Processes and Management Program - Monitoring River Health Initiative: River Health Bioassessment Manual - 1994
- SIGNAL 2.iv - A Scoring System for Macroinvertebrates ('Water Bugs') in Australian Rivers - 2003
- National river health program: environmental flows initiative technical reports
- Assessment of the Impact of Private Dams on Seasonal Stream flows - Final Report - 2002
- Australian River Assessment System: AusRivAS Protocols Development and Testing Report (Final Report) - 2002
- Environmental Water Requirements to Maintain Wetlands of National and International Importance - 2001
- Environmental Water Requirements of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems - 2001
- Environmental Water Requirements to Maintain Estuarine Processes - 2002
- Environmental Flows on the Paroo and Warrego Rivers - 2003
- Environmental Flows Initiative - Summary of Projects
- Environmental Water Requirements of Vallisneria nana in the Daly River, Northern Territory - 2003
- Evaluation of the National River Health Program (1996)
- Importance of Flood Flows to the Productivity of Dryland Rivers and Their Floodplains - 2003
- Modelling Dry Season Flows and Predicting the Impact of Water Extraction on a Flagship Species - 2003
- National AusRivAS Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Training and Accreditation Register - 2003
- Periphyton and Phytoplankton Response to Reduced Dry Season Flows in the Daly River - 2003
- Productivity and Water Flow Regulation in the Ord River of North-Western Australia - 2003
- Snowy River Benchmarking and Environmental Flow Response Monitoring Project - 2003
- Tree Water Use and Sources of Transpired Water in Riparian Vegetation Along the Daly River, Northern Territory - 2003
- Protecting Australia's rivers, wetlands and estuaries of high conservation value - 2005
Water for agriculture
- An economic survey of irrigation farms in the Murray-Darling Basin - 2008
- Case Examples of Managing Overallocated Groundwater Systems - 2002
- Draft National Water Policy Agenda - 2000
- Farm costs, benefits and risks from bore capping and piping in the GAB
- Groundwater Quality Protection - 2002
- Groundwater Trading - 2002
- Improving non-urban water metering - Metering Expert Group - 2008
- Knowledge gaps for groundwater reforms - 2004
- Landholder contributions to the GABSI - 2003
- Managing Overallocated Groundwater Systems - 2002
- Metering Projects - Metering Expert Group - 2008
- National Audit of On-farm Irrigation Information Tools - 2007
- National Framework for Non-urban Water Metering Policy Statement - Final Draft - 2008
- National needs and gaps analysis of on-farm irrigation information tools - 2009
- Review of the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative - 2003
- Review the attitudes and perceptions of pastoral water users in the great artesian basin - 2003
- Stocktake of Australia's non-urban water metering systems - 2008
- Innovation in irrigation: 6 case studies from across Australia - 2007
- Innovation in irrigation: 6 case studies from across Australia - 2005
- Innovation in irrigation: 12 case studies from across Australia - 2004
Water for cities and homes
- A discussion paper on the role of the private sector in the supply of water and wastewater services - 2006
- Advice on the impact of pollution on rainfall and the potential benefits of cloud seeding - 2002
- Australian guidelines for water recycling: managing health and environmental risks (phase1)
- Economic and technical assessment of desalination technologies in Australia - 2002
- Guidelines for developing recycled water schemes in horticulture
- Introduction to desalination technologies in Australia - 2002
- Introduction to Urban Stormwater Management in Australia- 2002
- National Guidelines for Residential Customers' Water Accounts
- National Snapshot of Current and Planned Water Recycling and Reuse Rates - 2008
- National urban water and desalination plan - fact sheet - 2008
- National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns Competitive Grants Element - fact sheet - 2009
- Research into access to recycled water and impediments to recycled water investment - 2005
- Review of Urban Water Entitlements in Australia - 2008
- Securing Australia's Urban Water Supplies: Opportunities and Impediments
- Urban Water Use - 2003
- Urban Water Markets - 2008
- Wastewater and Stormwater Management - 1997
- Water efficiency guide: office and public buildings - 2006
- Water savings project final report - 2005
Green Precincts Fund
- Green Precincts Fund - fact sheet - 2009
- An Island is not an Island - A Green Precinct in the Great Barrier Reef - fact sheet - 2009
- Bega Valley solar farm feasibility study - fact sheet - 2009
- Blue Mountains Sustainable Precinct - fact sheet - 2009
- Charleston Road Campus Redevelopment - fact sheet - 2009
- Sydney Harbour Green Precincts Project - fact sheet - 2009
- Education Precincts for the Future - fact sheet - 2009
- Greening Inveresk Precinct - Towards Water and Energy Sustainability - fact sheet - 2009
- Greening the Wharf - Sydney Theatre Company - fact sheet - 2009
- The Grove Library Project - fact sheet - 2009
- Windy Hill Green Precincts Project - fact sheet - 2009
- Woodcroft Green Precinct - Combined Library and Neighbourhood Centre Demonstration Site - fact sheet - 2009
Water quality
National Water Quality Management Strategy
These guidelines have been released by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) and, in some cases, in collaboration with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Health Ministers Conference. Hard copies of these guidelines can be ordered from the Australian Water Association
- Policies and process for water quality management
- Water quality benchmarks
- Groundwater management
- Diffuse and point sources
- Guidelines for Sewerage Systems
- Paper 11: Guidelines for sewerage systems - effluent management - 1997
- Paper 12: Guidelines for sewerage systems - acceptance of trade waste (industrial waste) - 1994
- Paper 13: Guidelines for sewerage systems - sludge (biosolids) management - 2004
- Paper 14: Guidelines for sewerage systems - use of reclaimed water - 2000
- Paper 15: Guidelines for sewerage systems - sewerage system overflows - 2004
- Effluent Management
- Paper 16a: Effluent management guidelines for dairy sheds - 1999
- Paper 16b: Effluent management guidelines for dairy processing plants - 1999
- Paper 17: Effluent management guidelines for intensive piggeries - 1999
- Paper 18: Effluent management guidelines for aqueous wool scouring and carbonising - 1999
- Paper 19: Effluent management guidelines for tanning and related industries in Australia - 1995
- Paper 20: Effluent management guidelines for Australian wineries and distilleries - 1998
- Water recycling
- Paper 21: Australian guidelines for water recycling: managing health and environmental risks (Phase1) - 2006. Phase 1 covers the treatment of sewage effluent and greywater for non-drinking purposes.
- Paper 22a: Australian guidelines for water recycling: managing health and environmental risks (Phase 2): Augmentation of drinking water supplies - 2008. This guideline covers the treatment of sewage effluent and greywater for augmentation of drinking water supplies.
- Other reports
- Discussion paper on implementation of the National Water Quality Management Strategy - 2008
- Assessment of the Approach taken for the Adaption of the CSIRO Pesticide Impact Rating Index (PIRI) to Tasmanian Conditions - Final report - 2008
- Better Water Workshop Series – National Water Quality Management Strategy - 2008
- Random Audit of Historical Water Quality Monitoring Data and Associated Operational/Landscape and Climate Data - First report - 2007
- Random Audit of Historical Water Quality Monitoring Data and Associated Operational/Landscape and Climate Data - Second report - 2007
- The Framework for Marine and Estuarine Water Quality Protection: A Reference Document - 2001
Wetlands
Brochures and fact sheets
- Australia's Ramsar sites - 2007
- Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland - Fact sheet - March 2009
- A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia (fact sheet) - 2006
- Subterranean wetlands - 2004
Books and reports
Ramsar Convention
- Communication, Education, and Public Awareness to Promote Wise Use of Australia's Wetlands - 2002
- Ramsar: Conferences of Contracting Parties reports
- Ramsar National Report on the Implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands - to be submitted to the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Republic of Korea, 28 October - 4 November 2008 - 2008
- National planning tool for the implementation of the ramsar convention on wetlands - Ninth Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) - 2005
- Ramsar Snapshot Study - Final Report - 2007
Wetlands in Australia
- Availability of wetland habitat for waterbirds in arid Australia - 2001
- How do Water Regime and Grazing Alter the Reproductive Capacity of Aquatic Plants? - 2000
- Identifying and Monitoring Change in Wetland Inundation and Vegetation Patterns, Alligator Rivers Region, Northern Territory - 2002
- Implications of Nutrient Enrichment on Managing Primary Productivity in Wetlands - 2000
- Modelling ecological responses to water regimes in arid zone wetlands - 1998
- Private and Social Values of Wetlands: An Overview - 2001
- Protecting Australia's rivers, wetlands and estuaries of high conservation value - 2005
Queensland Wetlands Program
- Program Performance Report of the Queensland Wetlands Program: 1 July 2006 - 31 December 2006
- Program Performance Report of the Queensland Wetlands Program: 1 July 2005 - 30 June 2006
- Weed Management and the Biodiversiy and Ecological Processes of Tropical Wetlands - 2001
- Wetlands in a dry land: Understanding for management - 1997
National Guidelines for Ramsar wetlands - Implementing the Ramsar Convention in Australia
- Implementation of the National Framework and Guidance for describing the ecological character of Australia's Ramsar wetlands
- Mapping specifications for Australian Ramsar wetlands - Module 1 - 2008
- National framework and guidance for describing the ecological character of Australian Ramsar wetlands - Module 2 - 2008
Newsletters
- Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update, 2009 - Issue No 17 (order printed copy)
- Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update, 2008 - Issue No 16
- Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update, 2007 - Issue No 15 (order printed copy)
- Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update, 2006 - Issue No 14
Policy, legislation and conventions
- Commonwealth Coastal Policy
- Convention on Biodiversity (1992)
- Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (the Bonn Convention)
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
- China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA)
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
- Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA)
- Republic of Korea-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA)
- Legislation administered by the Environment Department
- Ramsar Convention
- World Heritage Convention
Posters, postcards, stickers and fridge magnets (Only available within Australia, limit of 6 posters)
Videos and interactive tools
- Exploring our wetlands - 2006
Subscribe to the Water Matters newsletter
For up-to-date information about the Australian Government's Water for the Future plan.
