Ensuring the sustainability of our food and water resources
To weather climate change over the long-term, Australia must work now to build up resilience.
Climate change is putting our food and water resources under particular duress. Drought has long been a feature of Australia's ecology, but rising average temperatures and reduced rainfall will make them more persistent, frequent, and severe.
Interludes between dry periods are unlikely to bring respite. More and more, we will experience violent climatic oscillations between drought and inundation.
These twin effects of climate change can prove enormously destructive to agriculture. Recurrent droughts will also put great strain on our water security. To weather climate change over the long-term, Australia must work now to build up the resilience and sustainability of our food and water resources.
We will do so by:
Increasing Australia's water storage capacity. In light of worsening drought patterns, Australia will devote greater resources towards upgrading and constructing new water storage infrastructure. Funding allocations will be informed by a comprehensive, expert review of Australia's long-term water storage needs in the context of climate change.
Building up Australia's desalination capacity. Australia will invest in new desalination plants to supplement long-term urban water supply. We will ensure that all new desalination plants are powered by renewable energy resources.
Reducing the allocation of water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin. While water entitlement trading is—in theory—an optimal mechanism to regulate water use in our largest basin, the over-allocation of entitlements has led to the under-pricing and over-use of water. To recalibrate the system and ensure it appropriately incentivises water efficiency, we will review and reduce water entitlements in the MDB, ensuring adequate allocation toward environmental flows.
Tightening water-use compliance. Over-use of water in the MDB and other areas is also a consequence of inadequate enforcement. We will look to redress this through stronger penalties and improved surveillance, including via satellites and drones.
Promoting smarter farming techniques. Australia will scale up financial incentives that help farmers adopt practices and technologies that reduce soil erosion, or improve water efficiency, agricultural productivity, or crop resilience.
Strengthening our biosecurity system. A changing climate will create new vectors for biosecurity threats. It is crucial that Australia keeps pace with these developments. We will therefore look to strengthen Australia's biosecurity system through greater investment, data-sharing, and enhanced overseas partnerships and surveillance.
Improving agricultural resilience. As a matter of priority, we will significantly increase funding towards the CSIRO, supporting its work in developing drought-resistant crops.
Regulating pesticides and anti-microbials. To ensure that farming practices do not inadvertently cause harm to the environment or public health, we will look to strengthen regulations relating to the use of pesticides and anti-microbials in agriculture.