The final report into the Productivity Commission's National Water Reform inquiry  has been released to the public.

The report, encomapssing almost two years of work, is an assessment of the progress in achieving the objectives and outcomes of the National Water Initiative (NWI) and the need for any future reform.

The report says water reform has delivered substantial benefits to irrigators, other water users and the broader community. That the expansion of water trading has provided irrigators with greater flexibility to manage change and has encouraged greater efficiency and that there is emerging evidence of improved ecological outcomes from increased environmental water.

The Commission has called for governments to complete unfinished business from the NWI, including fully implementing entitlement and planning reforms, and economic regulation in some jurisdictions; and respond to the challenges posed by population growth, climate change and changing community expectations.

You can read the report in full here.

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