- More than $3 million has been invested in WA's regional water resilience through two National Water Grid-funded projects
- Assessing the potential to harness brackish groundwater to supply drought-prone agricultural regions in the South West
- Low-tech water treatment trial to empower remote Aboriginal communities with tools to monitor and improve drinking water quality
The Albanese and Cook governments are jointly investing in two groundbreaking initiatives to enhance water security and climate resilience across regional and remote Western Australia.
The first initiative, the $2.7 million WaterSmart Wheatbelt project, will explore the potential of using brackish palaeochannels as emergency and long-term water sources for drought-prone agricultural regions.
The project aims to advance cost-effective aquifer exploration methodologies, building on the outcomes of CSIRO's recently completed brackish groundwater characterisation project, funded through the National Water Grid Fund.
It will deliver publicly available guidance, training packages and aquifer maps to assist landowners and local communities in preparing for sustainable self-supply in vulnerable areas.
Focus regions include the Central Wheatbelt and Great Southern, where the initiative will support broadacre agriculture, livestock processors and other intensive industries.
By harnessing locally sourced brackish groundwater, the project promotes sustainable water use and creates opportunities in areas without access to public water supplies.
The project will be led by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in partnership with Federal science agencies and universities, including CSIRO, and involves local government and other WA State agencies.
The second initiative, delivered by the Water Corporation in collaboration with the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the University of Western Australia, will invest $486,000 in a trial of low-tech monitoring and treatment methods to improve drinking water quality in remote Aboriginal communities.
Technologies such as accessible water chemistry test kits and domestic-scale freeze desalination will be trialled in communities across the Pilbara, Gascoyne and Eastern Goldfields.
Designed to provide interim water safety measures while long-term infrastructure is developed, this project empowers communities with tools to monitor and treat their own water.
It also seeks to build trust between water utilities and Aboriginal communities, improve water literacy and enable community-led water security.
The trial will demonstrate novel low-tech methods for addressing aesthetic drinking water quality issues, with potential application across remote communities nationwide.
This project supports Australia's commitment to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, towards universal access to clean and affordable water, and contributes to the Closing the Gap target for equitable essential services by 2031.
Together, these initiatives mark a significant step toward future-proofing WA's water supply, strengthening community wellbeing, boosting agricultural productivity and safeguarding the environment.
For more information on the National Water Grid Fund visit nationalwatergrid.gov.au
For more information on Western Australia's Rural Water Planning programs visit wa.gov.au
As stated by Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt:
"Every drop of water is precious, and through this work, we're helping to make the most of it.
"We're pleased to partner with the Cook Government to invest in science projects that will make real progress towards future-proofing regional WA's water supply, free up water for industry and empower local Aboriginal communities with healthy water now and into the future."
As stated by Western Australian Water Minister Don Punch:
"These projects reflect our commitment to climate resilience and ensuring that all communities, especially Aboriginal and regional ones, have access to safe, sustainable drinking water.
By investing in innovative, locally appropriate solutions, we are empowering communities, supporting industry, and protecting our environment for generations to come."
As stated by Western Australian Agricultural Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"The WaterSmart Wheatbelt project is developing innovative tools to locate supplies of brackish water for on-farm use that can also support value-add opportunities on broadacre farms, such as feedlots and other supply chain industries.
"This project will deliver the science and tools to help unlock suitable underground resources in the Central Wheatbelt and Great Southern - building water resilience and creating new economic opportunities."
