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Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

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  1. Home
  2. Water
  3. Water policy and resources
  4. Water programs and initiatives
  5. Completed programs and initiatives
  6. Water Smart Australia

Sidebar first - Water

  • Completed
    • Water for Fodder
      • Agreement with South Australia
      • Compliance
      • Review
      • Round 1
    • Strengthening Basin Communities Program
      • Round 1 planning projects
        • Liverpool Plains project
      • Round 2 planning projects
      • Round 1 Water saving initiatives
      • Round 2 Water Saving Initiatives—Strengthening Basin Communities
    • On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program
      • Pilot projects
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    • NSW Basin Pipe project
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      • Sample irrigation modernisation plan
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    • Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program for South Australia
    • Goulburn-Murray Water Connections Project Stage 2 mid-term review final report
    • Commonwealth On-Farm Further Irrigation Efficiency Program
    • Queensland healthy headwater
    • Environmental Works and Measures Feasibility Program
    • Menindee Lakes project
    • Supporting more efficient irrigation in Tasmania
    • Project Agreement for Tasmanian Irrigation Tranche II
    • Green Precincts Fund
    • Water Efficiency Opportunities Program
    • National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns
    • Water Smart Australia
    • National Urban Water and Desalination Plan
      • National Urban Water and Desalination Plan - supporting documents

Water Smart Australia

​​​Australia's water is a highly variable resource. Managing it sustainably and productively is one of the great challenges facing us as we move into the future.

There are many opportunities to make better use of supplies of water that we have already developed, to employ new technology and infrastructure, improve and refine management practices and to draw on better information.

The $1.5 billion Australian Government's Water Smart Australia Program aimed to accelerate the development and uptake of smart technologies and practices in water use across Australia. The program also assists to advance the implementation of the National Water Initiative, Australia's enduring blueprint for national water reform.

The Water Smart Australia programme is closed and no future funding rounds are planned at this time.

Program Reviews

In 2009 the Australian National Audit Office conducted a performance audit of the administration of Water Smart Australia Program. The audit found Water Smart Australia projects were well managed and made no specific recommendations for the department to implement.

See Performance Audit Report No.21 2009-10 Administration of the Water Smart Australia Program

In 2012 GHD Pty Ltd conducted an end of program review of the effectiveness of the Water Smart Australia program. The review found that the Water Smart Australia program has delivered its defined outcomes and the vast majority of projects achieved their objectives.

See Review and lessons learnt of the Water Smart Australia program

Water Smart Australia projects by state

[expand all]

National

Description

Location

Investment

Smart Approved WaterMark™ Scheme

National

$1,766,364

Magnitude of Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction

National

$1,350,000

Australian Riverprize

National

$1,000,000

River Reach Water Trading System

National

$2,277,918

Australian Capital Territory

Description

Location

Investment

Canberra Urban Waterways Rehabilitation

ACT

$10,200,000

New South Wales

Description

Location

Investment

Aquatic Weed Harvester

NSW

$500,000

Barraba to Split Rock Dam Water Pipeline Feasibility Study

NSW

$128,759

Bega to Yellow Pinch Dam Water Transfer System

NSW

$9,952,215

Berridale Sewage Treated Effluent Reuse at the Coolamatong Golf Course

NSW

$1,000,000

Braidwood Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade

NSW

$3,300,000

Braidwood Water Supply Augmentation

NSW

$700,000

Bungendore Water Supply Augmentation

NSW

$1,000,000

Chatswood CBD and Civic Place Stormwater Management

NSW

$2,379,998

Coleambally Water Efficiency and Metering

NSW

$7,205,692

Nimmitabel - Water Storage Project

NSW

$545,771

Goulburn Water Supply Pipeline

NSW

$20,000,000

Eurobodalla Water Supply Pipeline and Water Treatment Facilities

NSW

$14,999,997

Hunter and Gosford-Wyong Water Sharing

NSW

$6,610,000

Lake Brewster Dam Efficiency and Wetland Rehabilitation

NSW

$7,500,000

Mardi Mangrove Pipeline Link

NSW

$80,300,000

NSW Wetland Recovery Plan

NSW

$13,400,000

NSW Hydrometric Network Expansion

NSW

$5,949,016

NSW Rivers Environmental Restoration Program

NSW

$79,620,000

Pipeline NSW

NSW

$3,500,000

The Hawkesbury Nepean River Recovery Package

NSW

$66,107,030

Tumbarumba Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

NSW

$2,000,000

Tumut Golf Course Effluent Re-use Scheme

NSW

$500,000

Water Loss Management Program for NSW Regional Water Utilities

NSW

$4,122,050

Water Quality 2010

NSW

$4,500,000

Northern Territory

Description

Location

Investment

Water Resource Planning for Sustainable Development in Northern Australia

NT

$845,926

Gulf Water Study

NT

$866,000

Queensland

Description

Location

Investment

Bundaberg Groundwater Rescue Feasibility Study

Qld

$227,273

Capturing Water Losses on the Gold

Qld

$3,150,000

Environmentally Smart and Sustainable Water Supply for the Capricorn Coast

Qld

$16,467,000

Mackay Wastewater Recycling

Qld

$45,543,706

Smart Metering and Sustainable Water Pricing Initiative

Qld

$2,549,829

Townsville Wastewater Diversion Pipeline

Qld

$34,073,401

Western Corridor Recycling Plant

Qld

$408,000,000

South Australia

Description

Location

Investment

Advancing Knowledge of Groundwater in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Northern Adelaide Plains and Kangaroo Island

SA

$1,520,000

Environmental Water Trading System

SA

$705,000

Integrated Water Resource Management in the South East of South Australia

SA

$6,249,000

Implementation of the National Water Initiative in South Australia

SA

$12,885,590

Metropolitan Adelaide Major Irrigator's Storm Water Reuse

SA

$2,764,951

Central Irrigation Trust Remote Reading of Irrigation Water Meters

SA

$2,187,984

Restoring Flows to Wetlands in the Upper South-East of South Australia

SA

$7,699,937

Statewide Wastewater System Upgrades

SA

$17,699,936

Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Mount Lofty Ranges

SA

$13,900,000

Virginia Pipeline Scheme Extension

SA

$2,035,000

Waterproofing Northern Adelaide

SA

$38,000,000

Water Proofing the South - Stage 1

SA

$34,500,000

Tasmania

Description

Location

Investment

Agricultural Water Resource Planning

Tas

$2,253,945

Tasmanian Irrigation water use automatic data collection and management project

Tas

$5,750,672

Victoria

Description

Location

Investment

Goldfields Superpipe to Bendigo and Ballarat

Vic

$89,500,000

Bendigo - Water Recycling

Vic

$6,300,000

Latrobe Aquifer Financial Assistance Package

Vic

$2,776,224

Macalister Irrigation District Channel Automation

Vic

$18,660,000

Warrnambool Roof Water Harvesting

Vic

$1,065,875

Restoring Unregulated Rivers Initiative

Vic

$3,170,000

Sustainable Ground Water Management

Vic

$4,250,000

Wimmera Mallee Pipeline

Vic

$266,000,000

Western Australia

Description

Location

Investment

Craigie Groundwater Replenishment Trial (previously Beenyup)

WA

$19,400,000

Restoration of Groundwater Aquifer on the Cottesloe Peninsula

WA

$782,000

Water Planning in Western Australia

WA

$13,381,029

Wungong Urban Water Cycle

WA

$6,191,990

​
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Last updated: 04 July 2022

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.