In 2007 and 2008, CSIRO undertook the world's first water resource assessment of its scale for the groundwater and surface waters of the Murray-Darling Basin, reporting on current and future climate scenarios and possible land management changes.
In March 2008, the Council of Australian Governments expanded this assessment to provide a comprehensive scientific assessment of water yield in all major water systems across the country to allow a consistent analytical framework for water policy decisions across the nation.
Regions most recently studied are northern Australia, south-west Western Australia and Tasmania.
A water resource assessment of the Great Artesian Basin, a major groundwater resource which underlies parts of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory, commenced in July 2010.
This research is providing governments and industry with an unprecedented level of water information to guide future resource planning, management and investment.
More information on the scope of these projects is available from the Australian Government's website, Sustainable yields project — providing critical information on Australia's current and future water availability [external link].
