Water is essential to life but is a limited resource, and water management has become crucial in Australia in light of the recent drought. Recent reform through the COAG process has resulted in the establishment of the National Water Initiative. One of the reforms included in this process has been a move away from riparian rights to a system where water rights are separated from land rights. Another was the development of a system of trading in water rights. This subject proposes to examine the nature of water management in NSW, from the historical underpinnings of water law up to the present-day reforms.
Assessment: Class participation (15 per cent), class presentation (25 per cent) and a research paper (60 per cent)
Fisher, D, Water Law Law Book Company