Linking project outputs to policy

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Linking project outputs to policy

• Reflections on Northern Australia Irrigation
  Futures other experiences

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Northern Australia Irrigation Futures
GOAL
To provide new knowledge, tools and processes to
support debate and decision making regarding
irrigation in northern Australia
CORE PARTNERS
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NAIF SH UNESCO HELP
Promoting dialogue between scientists,
policymakers stakeholders
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How well do you understand the policy making
environment?

• Farmers
• Irrigation companies
• Bureaucrats
• Politicians

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Understanding the broad context

• the three jurisdictions of the north QLD, NT
  WA are facing increasing pressures to free up
  water for development, but the risk is that they
  lack sufficient knowledge of their rivers
  groundwater systems to respond with confidence.
• David Trebeck, Commissioner, NWC, Dec. 2006

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What impacts on confidence?

• Decisions about irrigation development are very
  complex
• Lots of uncertainty
• High risks consequences
• Increasing pressure on northern land and water
  resources
• Higher community expectations and informed
  watchdogs
• Governments will need to continue to make
  decisions
• Often risk averse
• Wouldnt you be?

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Policy and decision makers are under pressure
like everyone else

• Resource decisions are often made with whatever
  information is readily at hand, regardless of
  whether it represents a full accurate picture
• (Oregon Coastal Atlas, 2005)

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The question is the same How can we help?

• Must dealing with complexity result in more so
  called red tape?

There are many uncertainties, but is every
uncertainty a high risk?
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Is doing more research the only answer?

• While a mass of information and data is
  available on various aspects of irrigation and
  irrigation management, it is often scattered
  across industries or locations or websites and is
  difficult to access
• Critically, this lack of accessible, centralised
  information leads to inappropriate management
  practices or duplication of research and
  resources.
• (ANCID, July 2007)

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NAIF Outputs / Outcomes

1. Project reports / scientific papers
2. Improved understanding of northern systems
3. QLD, NT, WA and Australian water departments (and
   others) working together
4. Forum for Taskforce to connect with northern
   Australian governments
5. Growing network of more informed stakeholders
6. Technology / processes to support irrigation
   decision making

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Reflections on the NAIF approach

• Policy makers have actively guided project
  direction, have a sense of ownership and team
  commitment
• The process is at least as valuable as project
  outputs
• Good relationships demand trust, trust takes time
• Including science and policy / management skills
  in one project has been highly successful
• NAIF would not exist now without the value set of
  the researchers

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A few other reflections

• Bureaucrats are not the government, they are
  instruments of it
• Cultivate relationships with political advisors
• Collect practical stories and tell them
• Dont expect policy makers to have all the
  policy solutions, suggest options
• Developing potential pathways to adoption may
  require tenacity, but it is our responsibility.

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