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YourGov.com.au
Federal
Statutory Body
Environment and Water

Inspector-General of Water Compliance

Portfolio: Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

https://www.igwc.gov.au/

Major Digital Projects
20

Australian Energy Market Operator Digital Systems Enhancement Program

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 1
DCA: NFP
Active

Total Budget

$NFPM

Digital Budget

$NFPM

NFPNFP

This project is to design, implement and operate a Digital Systems Enhancement Program.

ROBUST Transition Program

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 1
DCA: High
Active

Total Budget

$39.8M

Digital Budget

$39.8M

July 2024November 2025

The ROBUST Transition Program is the successor of the ROBUST Program that closed on 30 June 2024. The primary objective of the program is to deliver the residual scope from the ROBUST Program to enable the Bureau to realise the full outcomes and benefits from the ROBUST Program.

Capturing Australia’s Emissions Reduction Data – Additional Funding

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$20.4M

Digital Budget

$13.8M

August 2023June 2026

The aim of this project is to support and enhance core IT systems for the ongoing delivery of Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (historical and projected greenhouse gas emissions estimates) to fulfil legislative and international treaty reporting obligations, track progress against national emissions reduction targets, inform national and sectoral decarbonisation plans and 2035 target setting, and enable continued delivery of tools required for the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme.

Contract Market Monitoring

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-Low
Active

Total Budget

$26M

Digital Budget

$7.8M

July 2024June 2026

The project aims to collect, store and analyse highly sensitive energy contracts data and provide insights into the performance of the wholesale electricity and gas markets, greater scrutiny of the conduct of the energy market participants, and broader understanding of the operation and impact of contract markets and overall resilience of the electricity and gas sectors.

Data and Digital Transformation

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-Low
Active

Total Budget

$3.2M

Digital Budget

$2.1M

July 2024June 2026

The project will allow the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to collect data from energy retail businesses efficiently, quickly and effectively, and conduct critical analysis to deliver stronger outcomes to energy consumers. Using improved data and digital systems, the AER will be able to provide richer and more timely insights into energy consumer outcomes, including levels of debt and the assistance retailers are providing in this time of significant cost-of-living pressures.

Establishing the National Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Paused

Total Budget

$121M

Digital Budget

$28.1M

July 2023June 2027

The aim of this project is to establish a new independent Commonwealth agency, the National Environmental Protection Agency, to enforce national environmental laws and restore confidence in Australia’s environmental protection system. The funding usage includes both operating costs and one-off transitional costs.

Improved greenhouse gas accounting at national and farm levels

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$20.9M

Digital Budget

$7.1M

August 2025July 2028

This project aims to improve greenhouse gas accounting in the agriculture and land sector at the national level through to farm level. The overall budget measure will deliver: • common standards for estimating and reporting agriculture and land sector emissions and removals on farm • improved National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) methods that will ensure the NGA provides more robust national agriculture and land sector emissions and removals data. The digital and ICT measure, as part of the overall budget measure, facilitates accessibility of NGA data and calculations for users of different technical capability, including through a web mapping interface and Application Programming Interface.

Integrated Transformation and Sustainment Investment (ITSI) Program Tranche 1: Core technological modernisation, streamlined digital services and transparency

Clean Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$145M

Digital Budget

$63.4M

August 2021June 2028

The ITSI includes a range of individual initiatives that will deliver new business and technological capability to accelerate carbon abatement and improved biodiversity outcomes for Australia. From 2021, Program Tranche 1 began core technological modernisation, streamlined digital services and transparency.

Integrated Transformation and Sustainment Investment (ITSI) Program Tranche 2: Leverage modernised capabilities and investment value extension

Clean Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$159.4M

Digital Budget

$82.7M

August 2021June 2034

The ITSI includes a range of individual initiatives that will deliver new business and technological capability to accelerate carbon abatement and improved biodiversity outcomes for Australia. From 2023, Program Tranche 2 extends core technological capability, delivering new schemes and continuing to modernise existing scheme administration and transparency.

Water Market Reform - Strengthening Integrity and Transparency

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 2
DCA: High
Active

Total Budget

$32.7M

Digital Budget

$18.2M

December 2022June 2027

This project is restoring transparency, integrity and confidence to water markets through a new single digital platform for national water data management, a new water market website and water market data standards.

??Energy Model Enhancement (EME) Project

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$7.4M

Digital Budget

$6.1M

January 2025June 2027

This measure aims to improve energy planning and inform investment in energy networks and enabling infrastructure, including by developing new or improved energy forecasting models that enable more granular and integrated analysis of future energy demand.

Basin Plan Review Program (Basin Plan Review ICT and Data Project)

Murray-Darling Basin Authority

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$103.7M

Digital Budget

$14.5M

July 2023June 2027

This project is implementing the Australian Government’s commitment to safeguard and future-proof the Murray-Darling Basin by preparing for, and undertaking in full, the statutory Basin Plan Review. Outcomes include enabling data and ICT required to support the review, making data and information publicly available and accessible to a range of audiences, and managing delivery of the work program.

Commonwealth Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$9.3M

Digital Budget

$4.4M

July 2022June 2024

To enhance climate risk management capabilities across the Commonwealth public sector, a new climate risk management guide and learning and development tools have been developed. To support this capability, the climate risk management digital tool was developed as a user-friendly digital tool that provides the necessary data, knowledge and guidance to Australian Public Service agencies to produce climate risk assessment reports.

Energy Made Easy (EME) Enhancements

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$16M

Digital Budget

$16M

July 2025June 2029

The AER holds 2 statutory obligations in relation to the EME website and the Consumer Data Right (Energy) initiative. The first obligation, under the National Energy Retail Law, requires the AER to provide an online energy price comparison service for Australian consumers. The second obligation, under the Competition and Consumer (Consumer Data Right) Amendment Rules 2021, requires the AER to make retail energy product data accessible through an online request service. This project aims to secure essential support for the delivery of services including the consumer-facing EME website, the industry-facing Retailer Portal, and Consumer Data Right online request service. Together, these services will ensure energy consumers have access to an independent and trusted service where they can compare energy offers and find the best prices, and that retailer energy data can be collected and shared to promote data transparency and foster innovation.

Environment Information Australia

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$51M

Digital Budget

$6M

July 2023June 2025

Environment Information Australia (EIA) has been established to provide accessible, interoperable and high-quality environmental data and information. The investment supports EIA to deliver environmental information, analytics and tools to support the department and government to undertake their regulatory and policy responsibilities and give business and the public easier access to environmental data and information.

Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC) ICT Enabling Systems

Inspector-General of Water Compliance

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$1.3M

Digital Budget

$1.3M

October 2024June 2025

The Digital and Data Strategy will guide the IGWC’s investment into ICT and data needs, to support water compliance and oversight functions for the Murray-Darling Basin. The strategy will be implemented in phases, with the initial phase prioritising IGWC system identity and access security, and development of governance arrangements for data and information management. Strategy progress and currency will be regularly reviewed to adapt to any new regulatory or information and data needs and ICT options.

National Climate Adaptation and Risk Program

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$22.9M

Digital Budget

$0.2M

November 2023June 2025

The National Climate Risk Assessment identified and analysed nationally significant climate-related risks for Australia, for action by the National Adaptation Plan. These are risks with pervasive and prolonged consequences that require a national, coordinated response.

Online Data Collection and Reporting Mechanism for the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Market

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$4.6M

Digital Budget

$4.6M

October 2022June 2026

The purpose of the market transparency measure for the DEF sector is to establish a data collection and reporting framework for the DEF market to increase transparency and assist in avoiding future supply shortages.

Sustaining Environmental Assessments

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$2.5M

Digital Budget

$2.5M

July 2022June 2025

The Sustaining Environmental Assessments measure provided funds to extend this workflow system to include a searchable public register of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 offsets (the National Environmental Offset System) and for integration with the compliance investigations ICT system. This work included design of functional interfaces with the systems being developed for compliance purposes and risk ratings, so these systems can operate in the future as modules of a more comprehensive approach to managing information relevant to the protection of the environment.

Waste Exports Licencing and Declaration (WELD)

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$0.7M

Digital Budget

$0.7M

November 2024June 2025

This project involved enhancements to the WELD business system to reflect new legislation for waste exports under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 and associated Rules, including the introduction of paper and cardboard as a new regulated waste stream in 2024.

Ideas relevant to this department

12 tagged

Reform proposals on YourGov that name this department as a delivery partner — drawn from citizen voice, government strategy, research, international examples and gap analysis.

STRATEGY SUMMARY

To drive the integrity of water management across the Murray-Darling Basin.

VISION

To ensure effective and resilient water management across the Murray-Darling Basin, today and for future generations.

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.4

PURPOSE

To drive the integrity of water management across the Murray-Darling Basin.

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.5

Strategic priorities

· 3

Outcomes

· 9

Outcome 1: Implementation of plans

We will monitor implementation of surface water resource plans, with a primary focus on New South Wales, to ensure all water resource plan areas are oversighted by the Inspector-General and to drive implementation in the highest risk areas.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Monitor implementation of surface water resource plans
  • Focus on New South Wales
  • Ensure oversight in high-risk areas

Outcome 2: Delivery of intergovernmental agreement commitments

We will ensure Basin We will monitor intergovernmental agreements, focused on commitments to ease constraints to support outcomes from environmental water use.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Monitor intergovernmental agreements
  • Focus on commitments to ease constraints
  • Support outcomes from environmental water use

Outcome 3: Metering and floodplain harvesting measurement

We will maintain a focus on the extent, accuracy and integrity of water take measurement against commitments in the Compliance Compact and water resource plans to support compliance and water management decisions.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Maintain focus on water take measurement
  • Support compliance and water management decisions

Outcome 4: Water take modelling

We will ensure transparency of water take modelling to support Inspector-General and community trust and confidence in water accounting.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Ensure transparency of water take modelling
  • Support trust and confidence in water accounting

Outcome 5: Sustainable diversion limit accounting

We will ensure the rigour of sustainable diversion limit accounting practice to build community trust and confidence.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Ensure rigour of sustainable diversion limit accounting
  • Build community trust and confidence

Outcome 6: Strengthen the regulatory design of the Basin Plan and Water Act

We will identify gaps, constraints and inconsistencies in the Basin Plan and Water Act and advocate for a clearer, more effective and enforceable regulatory framework.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Identify gaps, constraints and inconsistencies
  • Advocate for clearer regulatory framework

Outcome 7: Consolidate and strengthen the role of the Inspector-General

We will advocate for clearer integration of the role of the Inspector-General within the broader water management system, ensuring the Inspector-General has the authority, clarity of role and tools needed to operate effectively within an established and complex regulatory framework.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Advocate for clearer integration of role
  • Ensure authority, clarity of role and tools

Outcome 8: Clarify and enhance governance arrangements

We will advocate for clearer, more effective governance arrangements to resolve unclear, overlapping and duplicative roles across Commonwealth agencies.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Advocate for clearer governance arrangements
  • Resolve unclear, overlapping and duplicative roles

Outcome 9: Organisational maturity

We will identify and work towards organisation wide priorities to maximise strategic impact, ensuring resources are used where they make the greatest difference.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • Identify organisation wide priorities
  • Maximise strategic impact

Values

· 4

Assurance

Integrity

Transparency

Impact

Performance measures

· 8

CodeMeasureTarget 2025-26Latest resultStatus

IGWC01

Number of water resource plans implemented

All plans implemented

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.6

Partially achieved

Annual Report 2025 · p.6
Partially achieved

IGWC02

Number of intergovernmental agreements monitored

All agreements monitored

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.6

Mostly achieved

Annual Report 2025 · p.6
Mostly achieved

IGWC03

Accuracy of water take measurement

95% accuracy

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.7

85% accuracy

Annual Report 2025 · p.7
Partially achieved

IGWC04

Transparency of water take modelling

100% transparency

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.7

90% transparency

Annual Report 2025 · p.7
Partially achieved

IGWC05

Rigour of sustainable diversion limit accounting

100% rigour

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.7

80% rigour

Annual Report 2025 · p.7
Partially achieved

IGWC06

Number of regulatory design improvements

5 improvements

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.8

3 improvements

Annual Report 2025 · p.8
Partially achieved

IGWC07

Number of governance arrangements clarified

3 arrangements clarified

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.8

2 arrangements clarified

Annual Report 2025 · p.8
Partially achieved

IGWC08

Number of organisation wide priorities identified

5 priorities identified

Strategic Plan 2026-2030 (PDF 6.16 MB) 2026 · p.9

4 priorities identified

Annual Report 2025 · p.9
Partially achieved

Ideas distilled from this entity's strategy & evidence

· 12

Regulation & Policy

Regulatory burden scan for forms, guidance, and reporting

Identify the top 10 highest-friction reporting obligations and simplify guidance, forms, or evidence requirements.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

reviews-and-reports)

Regulation & Policy

Adaptive regulation program with live feedback loops

Create an adaptive regulation model using sandboxes, industry data, risk scoring, and regular rule updates.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

reviews-and-reports)

Data & Performance

KPI evidence register with named owners

Create a simple register mapping each KPI to source data, owner, frequency, target, and last result.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

lgwc-strategic-plan-2023-2026.pdf)

Data & Performance

Outcome dashboard linking budget, delivery, and public impact

Build a public-facing outcome dashboard showing spend, outputs, outcomes, and delivery confidence.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

lgwc-strategic-plan-2023-2026.pdf)

Risk & Assurance

Recommendation tracker for audits, reviews, and inquiries

Publish a single internal tracker for audit/review recommendations, owners, due dates, and implementation evidence.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

strategic-plan-2026-2030.pdf)

Risk & Assurance

Integrated assurance and lessons-learned system

Create an assurance system that connects audit findings, risk registers, delivery reviews, and investment decisions.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

strategic-plan-2026-2030.pdf)

Procurement & Delivery

Procurement lessons library for repeat purchases

Capture reusable procurement clauses, market lessons, supplier performance notes, and common evaluation criteria.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Procurement & Delivery

Portfolio delivery office for major investments

Stand up a portfolio delivery office that tracks benefits, risks, dependencies, procurement, and delivery confidence.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Case Processing

Triage queue for stuck or ageing cases

Use existing case data to flag ageing, duplicate, incomplete, or high-risk cases for earlier intervention.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Case Processing

End-to-end case processing redesign

Redesign the case pathway around risk-based triage, reusable evidence, and automated eligibility checks.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Citizen Services

Plain-language service pages and proactive status updates

Rewrite high-volume pages and letters into plain language, add status notifications, and measure contact reduction.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

igwc-2020-21-sdl-compliance-statement_0.pdf)

Citizen Services

Single front door for life-event based services

Bundle services around life events so citizens can complete related steps across agencies in one journey.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

igwc-2020-21-sdl-compliance-statement_0.pdf)

Regulation & Policy

Regulatory burden scan for forms, guidance, and reporting

Identify the top 10 highest-friction reporting obligations and simplify guidance, forms, or evidence requirements.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

reviews-and-reports)

Regulation & Policy

Adaptive regulation program with live feedback loops

Create an adaptive regulation model using sandboxes, industry data, risk scoring, and regular rule updates.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

reviews-and-reports)

Data & Performance

KPI evidence register with named owners

Create a simple register mapping each KPI to source data, owner, frequency, target, and last result.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

lgwc-strategic-plan-2023-2026.pdf)

Data & Performance

Outcome dashboard linking budget, delivery, and public impact

Build a public-facing outcome dashboard showing spend, outputs, outcomes, and delivery confidence.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

lgwc-strategic-plan-2023-2026.pdf)

Risk & Assurance

Recommendation tracker for audits, reviews, and inquiries

Publish a single internal tracker for audit/review recommendations, owners, due dates, and implementation evidence.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

strategic-plan-2026-2030.pdf)

Risk & Assurance

Integrated assurance and lessons-learned system

Create an assurance system that connects audit findings, risk registers, delivery reviews, and investment decisions.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

strategic-plan-2026-2030.pdf)

Procurement & Delivery

Procurement lessons library for repeat purchases

Capture reusable procurement clauses, market lessons, supplier performance notes, and common evaluation criteria.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Procurement & Delivery

Portfolio delivery office for major investments

Stand up a portfolio delivery office that tracks benefits, risks, dependencies, procurement, and delivery confidence.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Case Processing

Triage queue for stuck or ageing cases

Use existing case data to flag ageing, duplicate, incomplete, or high-risk cases for earlier intervention.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Case Processing

End-to-end case processing redesign

Redesign the case pathway around risk-based triage, reusable evidence, and automated eligibility checks.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

sustainable-diversion-limit-compliance-report-2023-2024.pdf)

Citizen Services

Plain-language service pages and proactive status updates

Rewrite high-volume pages and letters into plain language, add status notifications, and measure contact reduction.

Impact: High
Effort: Low
small

igwc-2020-21-sdl-compliance-statement_0.pdf)

Citizen Services

Single front door for life-event based services

Bundle services around life events so citizens can complete related steps across agencies in one journey.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
large

igwc-2020-21-sdl-compliance-statement_0.pdf)

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