Abstract
This chapter presents research outputs on three governance players: the law, the organisations and a collective look at civil society through epistemic communities and non-government organisations. All three players seem to be holding different shaped balls and rules and hence are poorly coordinated. The chapter points to ways to increase co-ordination and places that burden on the law. The conclusion reached is that the Water Act 2007 should be applied to the entire nation and water supply organisations need a harmonised corporate form. Civil society has played crucial roles in the past but their eye is off the ball at present. There is a need for stronger epistemic communities and NGOs. The chapter compares urban water supply laws and organisations in Australia and China. China was selected as it shows a change in governance process. Driven by acute need, China accepted foreign investment in the water sector and developed individual cities. Of late, China has changed this process and adopted a catchment approach to integrate urban water supply in the context and created an innovative position of Chief of the river.
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Notes
- 1.
La Nauze describes the water debates as ‘monstrously long and tangled’ and ‘the most exhausting’ of the entire Melbourne Convention (La Nauze 1972, pp. 153–210).
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McKay, J. (2018). A Governance Solution to Australian Freshwater Law and Policy. In: Holley, C., Sinclair, D. (eds) Reforming Water Law and Governance. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8977-0_9
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