Improved seasonality of flows and system harmonisation social component Catherine Allan

risk averse society denial Avoid ideas that might not work Incremental change

Improved seasonality of flows and system harmonisation Big idea Big changes How can we do this on a risk averse society? Pilot Pay attention to social aspects

Get the science ‘right’ before taking it to the people Involve ‘community’ fully from the start Put much effort into science but periodically take to community experts Model 1 Model 2 Model 1.5 Work may be great but wasted because of social rejection Premature alarm Resource intense Pragmatic compromise

the pragmatic approach 2 workshops with irrigation ‘middlepeople’ criteria for assessing new projects different options (concepts) Leeton April 2005 acceptability of different options Griffith March 2006 Hydraulic modelling Economic modelling

Workshop participants Colleambally Irrigation Murray Irrigation Murrumbidgee Irrigation Ricegrowers Association Murrumbidgee Horticultural Council Water for Rivers State Water A few individual irrigators DNR MDBC CSIRO CRC IF

Draft criteria for assessing projects Economic benefits Social benefits Environmental benefits Improved water use efficiency Demonstrate impacts on water availability Significance Sound stakeholder processes Equity/fairness Feasibility Risk reduction Identify costs/ cost minimisation

no net increased diversion from rivers no net reduction in diversions from rivers

Cropping mix changes Conjunctive use of ground and surface water Manage evaporation Water trading On-route storage Barrage barge sell water as service The project options presented

conjunctive use of water good support/ interest from all groups on-route storage, managing evaporation and barrage barge very popular with some groups very unpopular with others polarised cropping mix and water trading moderate support from all groups Selling water as a service little support from any group. Initial thoughts on the options

Worth pursuing Baseline (current approach) Market-based surface water demand reduction Managed Accessible Recharge/Active SR Conjunctive water use Worth pursuing En-route storages Worth pursuing, but others are on to it Increased System efficiency/ increased end use efficiency? Mixed (most doubtful) Spreading demand with new cropping mix Acceptance snapshot

Improved seasonality of flows and system harmonisation Big idea Big changes How can we do this on a risk averse society? Pilot Pay attention to social aspects

What did we learn about the pragmatic approach? the value of involving non scientists from the start is useful outweighs costs and efforts Things to consider who is involved? power / influence must be negotiated be prepared to hear negative be prepared to learn rather than sell