We recently caught up with Dr Mark Shepheard, the Unit Coordinator of LAW207 (Water Law and Governance), to find out a bit more about how water is relevant to law?

As water is such a precious resource, there can be considerable tension with how water should be used and managed. For example, the interests of government, industry and communities can all clash in terms of how water rights should be allocated.

Mark is passionate about protecting our environment, especially our precious water resources. He notes the law is often looked at to fix environmental problems which arise. The reality is, there are often unexpected social consequences of well-intentioned reforms. One very poignant and public example of the community disdain which reforms can sometimes create, is the burning of the Murray Darling Basement Plan in Griffith, NSW. The group burnt the plans, in order to demonstrate against the large amounts of water which were proposed to be taken away from irrigators.

The reality is people’s livelihoods can be linked to water access. If this access is reduced or denied, communities can erode. This, coupled with the growing gap between rural and urban prosperity- it is little wonder this is such a contentious issue!

Water!

The governance of water is particularly interesting as it is relevant to both rural and urban people. In terms of urban or city environments, water is a central and necessary feature of gardens, parks and golf courses. Due to the high density of people in urban environments, there are also considerable issues relating to water pollution, sewerage treatment and desalination plants. From a rural perspective, water is central to food and fibre production and conservation of iconic landscapes.

If you are interested in finding out more about how the law can assist in answering some of these complex issues, make sure you enrol in LAW207 over summer!