Why is transparency important in water markets? It provides confidence to participants and observers alike that the key mechanism by which Australia manages its water resources is working effectively whilst supporting economic growth and the social, cultural and environmental values as well.
On June 4, 2020 the RBMS were joined by guest speakers Dr Erin O’Donnell (water law and policy specialist) and Ben Williams (President of the Australian Water Brokers Association) to provide insights into the complexity of the markets and the current issues and opportunities. They were joined post presentation by Chris Olszak (Aither Economics) and Jeremy Cheesman (Marsden Jacob Associates) in a Q&A panel discussion to dive a bit deeper and help us understand further how the water markets are impacted by drought, how First Nations may be able to access water allocations for cultural objectives, the latest online tools available to assist with market information, compliance and enforcement and the potential pro’s and con’s of a central exchange to name a few. We all know that navigating water market rules and regulations can be difficult, even more so in the face of a changing climate, scarce water resources and fluctuating market prices. But thanks to our amazing speakers and panel members and the interesting discussion held, we hope all the attendees felt as though they could walk away with an improved capacity to understand some of the complexities, driving forces and opportunities in this space.