Water scarcity is a persistent issue in Australia given the relatively dry and variable climate and now the emergence of climate change. Water is a valuable commodity particularly within agriculture, which accounts for around three quarters of total use. Water is also of value to other industries, households and increasingly environmental agencies.
Australia has a number of well-developed water markets, where water rights are freely traded between end users. Water markets allow Australia’s scarce water resources to be efficiently allocated between competing uses in response to fluctuations in supply and demand.
A key focus of ABARES water research is the collection and analysis of water markets data in the southern Murray–Darling Basin, including the Water Market Outlook. ABARES also undertakes modelling and analysis on issues of water policy, especially in regards to the implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. In addition, ABARES provides analysis of the irrigated agriculture industry, drawing on data from ABARES survey of irrigation farms in the Murray–Darling Basin.
A summary of ABARES research outputs on water is provided below. For access to all ABARES past water research, visit the ABARES publications library.
Trends in water entitlement holdings and trade: Analysis of ABARES survey data
ABARES Insights: Analysis of water recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin
Murray-Darling Basin water markets: trends and drivers 2002-03 to 2018-19
2024: The impacts of further water recovery in the southern Murray–Darling Basin
2018: Future scenarios for the southern Murray–Darling Basin water market
2018: A model of water trade and irrigation activity in the southern Murray-Darling Basin
2016: Lessons from the water market: the southern MDB water allocation market 2000-01 to 2015-16
Storage rights and water allocation arrangements in the Murray-Darling Basin
Management of irrigation water storages: carryover rights and capacity sharing
Capacity sharing in the St George and Macintyre Brook irrigation schemes in southern Queensland
2024: Environmental water trade – Making every drop count
The benefits of carryover in the southern Murray-Darling Basin
Murray-Darling Basin water markets: trends and drivers 2002-03 to 2018-19
Lessons from the water market: the southern MDB water allocation market 2000-01 to 2015-16
Meeting environmental objectives in the Murray-Darling Basin
The economic and social effects of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: recent research and steps
Modelling the economics effects of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (client report)
Cotton farms in the Murray-Darling Basin
Horticulture farms in the Murray-Darling Basin
Rice farms in the Murray-Darling Basin
The Australian Water Markets Reports were produced by ABARES from 2013-14 to 2016-17 and are available on this page. This report is now produced by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Australian Water Markets Report 2016-17
Australian Water Markets Report 2016-17 (PDF 9.2 MB)
Australian Water Markets Report 2015-16
National overview chapter (PDF 4.3 MB)
Southern Murray-Darling Basin chapter (PDF 7.4 MB)
Northern Murray-Darling Basin chapter (PDF 2.5 MB)
Rest of Australia chapter (PDF 5.0 MB)
Data and Methods appendix (PDF 1.0 MB)
Charts and tables (XLSX 11.6 MB)
Water Markets Database (ZIP 5.7 MB)
Australian Water Markets Report 2014-15
Australian water markets report 2014-15 - Report in full (PDF 21.3 MB)
Australian water markets report 2014-15 - data tables (XLSX 19.8 MB)
Australian water markets report 2014-15 - Water Markets Database (ZIP 5.7 MB)
Australian Water Markets Report 2013-14
Australian water markets report 2013-14 - Report (revised 2016-01-12) (PDF 2.4 MB)
Data tables (XLSX 0.4 MB)
Water Markets Database (ZIP 6.3 MB)