Presumptions of linearity and faith in the power of centralised decision-making: two challenges to the efficient management of environmental water in Australia

Title
Presumptions of linearity and faith in the power of centralised decision-making: two challenges to the efficient management of environmental water in Australia
Publication Date
2012
Author(s)
Crase, Lin
O'Keefe, Suzanne
Dollery, Brian E
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-8489.2012.00585.x
UNE publication id
une:10868
Abstract
Water policy in the Murray-Darling Basin continues to be dominated by the trade-offs between agricultural and environmental interests. This has recently been played out with the acrimonious debate that circumscribed the release of the Guide to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. In this paper, we argue that too much emphasis has been placed on the volume of held water as an indicator of environmental benefit. We also contend that there is an attendant presumption of linearity in the relationship between volumes of held water and environmental benefit which could lead to perverse outcomes. A second problem is that there is too much enthusiasm for contemplating the solutions to water management problems as residing primarily at the federal level of government. These factors stand to ultimately limit the efficient delivery of environmental objectives.
Link
Citation
The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 56(3), p. 426-437
ISSN
1467-8489
1364-985X
Start page
426
End page
437

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