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Cost-effective environmental water for NSW wetlands and rivers

Important but costly efforts are underway to recover and deliver environmental water to protect threatened ecosystems around NSW wetlands and rivers. It is vital then that conservation goals be pursued at least cost. Past cost-effectiveness studies in this area overlooked cost impacts from path dependencies (where decisions constrain subsequent adaptability), so are unreliable guides for future policy. The project led by Dr Graham Marshall involves case studies of three environmental water recovery programs administered by the NSW Government. It represents the first application of the Institutional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Framework (ICEAF) developed for environmental policy choices by Dr Marshall. This framework reveals that past Australian cost-effectiveness studies of environmental water recovery have overlooked important costs and may be unreliable guides to policy. The proposed research accounts for all important costs and strengthens the knowledge needed to increase value for money in recovery and governance of NSW environmental water.

Due for completion in 2017

Funded by: NSW Environmental Trust

Contact: Graham Marshall

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, courses and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia. We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Aboriginal community and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.