Water planning priorities and conflicts in The Hunter Valley,NSW

This paper examines the ability of society to develop and allocate water resources during a time of major drought and industrial growth. Water shortage in the upper Hunter became apparent between 1979 and 1983. Even the well watered Newcastle metropolitan area experienced domestic and commercial restrictions. Strategies to deal with the immediate problems in inland areas included temporary water restrictions, cessation of issue of new irrigation licences, institution of volumetric water allocation to agriculture and appeals for public cooperation. Government was placed under pressure to provide sufficient industrial water, maintain supplies to agriculture and distribute water resource information to private and public sector decision makers. Major regional water planning initiatives were almost as slow to eventuate as those for social infrastructure provision. Such crises are likely to recur. Questions remain as to the desirability and sufficiency of current allocative mechanisms to cope with the future diversity of water needs.