Managing Salinity with Markets, Plants and

Engineering(How do we move policy forward?)

David Pannell

This copy of slides has all photos removed to reduce file size

Degree of threat varies

Salt scald

Suitable for salt-tolerant plants

Completely unaffected

Values at threat vary

Agricultural land Infrastructure Threatened species, wetlands Water

Responsiveness varies

Required intensity of management varies (but is generally high)

Myth: increase water use of annuals

Nat

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l Lan

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Cost of management varies

Perennials profitable in some areas Unprofitable at high scale in most

Water efficient irrigation technologies available

Pumping is expensive

Myth: farmers can & will change land use sufficiently with existing options

Put it all together ...

Small areas have high priotityhigh threathigh valuehigher responsiveness to management low cost

Some have moderate priority Most have relatively low priority

Prioritising funds

We cannot buy a comprehensive solution

Focus $ support tightly onto high priority areas (or in ways that get high leverage)

Some catchments warrant few $ Investment framework

Myth: Sharing the money around evenly is “fair”

ICM

IntegratedFine

Catchment Many situations require local managemente.g. many farm problems, country towns

Management (Planning)Planning doesn’t get you adoptionWhat is the incentive?

Myth: ICM

Protecting an environmental asset

Diversion drain

Lake Toolibin

Lake Tarbilin

Pumps

Town Strategy Reveg farms?

Katanning Pump, seal creek No

Morawa Reduce recharge in town No

Brookton Pump (use to irrigate oval) Unlikely tohelp

Corrigin Pump (can use to irrigategardens)

No

Cranbrook Trees in the town to delay No

Merredin Pump, desalinate,supplement water supply

No

If not ICM then what?

Identify assets to protect Analyse best method to protect them

May be local, catchment scale or in between

Consider “living with” salinity Compare with other catchments Prioritise at level above catchment Concentrate funds to create incentive

“Living with salinity” options

Water resources: desalination

Built infrastructure: repair(Merredin townsite)

Cost of prevention Cost of repair$1.8 m to $4.6 m $0.4 m

Servicing the majority

Develop and promote technologies for salinity prevention (leverage)

Servicing the majority

Develop and promote methods for “living with” salinity

Which technologies?

Need a wide diversity They need to be profitable Existing suite inadequate Different methods suit different

situations/different problems

Asset Plants Engin.Agriculturalland

RechargeDischargeIrrigated

?

Water LocalisedExtensive

Biodiversity HotspotsDispersed

Infrastruct. LocalisedDispersed

Floods

Policy approaches

Policy instruments to encourage change on private landmarket-based instruments (NAP)subsidies (NHT)extension, information (Landcare) regulation

Direct works (e.g. on public land) Technology development & industry

development

Policyinstru-ments

Directworks

Tech.devel

Agriculture RechargeDischargeIrrigated

Water LocalisedExtensive

Biodiversity HotspotsDispersed

Infrastruct. LocalisedDispersed ?

?

Floods

Recommendations 1

Adopt a framework to assess and target salinity investments

Reverse the planning approach: asset based, not catchment based

Prioritise at state or national scale, not only catchment scale

Modify role of catchment planning groups

Recommendations 2

Allow time and resources for analysis of options. Provide technical support.

Adopt targets which come from analysis, not from desires

Include options for “living with salinity” in the analysis

Recommendations 3

De-emphasise policy instruments to achieve land-use change (including market-based instruments)

Recognise direct govt action (fully funded works, purchase water)

Change the nature of extension & communicationPromote properly evaluated technologies

Recommendations 4

Allocate 10-15% of salinity budget to technology development and industry developmentPlants (CRC)Engineering (CSIRO)

Keep an open mind and expect it to need to be changed

http://welcome.to/seanews

AcknowledgementsSelect Committee on Salinity Tom Hatton, David BennettGrains Research and Development Corp.