Sustainability: A Comparison of Policies and Regulations in Australia and New Zealand

This discussion compares the policies and regulations for sustainable use of water and energy in Australia and New Zealand. The analysis highlights the innovative approaches of both countries towards sustainability and suggests areas where they can learn from each other.

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY
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Name of Student
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Executive Summary:
The purpose of the discussion is to highlight the several aspects of the policies and
regulations regarding sustainability that have been adopted by Australia and New Zealand.
Both the countries have a different approach towards sustainability. For this analysis several
regulations and policies of both the countries has been compared and contrasted. This
difference occurs due to the dissimilarity of issues faced by the different countries. However,
both the countries have an innovative approach towards the issue and have been developing
several innovative ideas for the sustainable use of water and energy.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................4
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................4
Sustainable use of Energy and Water in Australia:................................................................4
Sustainable use of Water and Energy in New Zealand:.........................................................6
Comparison of the two countries:...........................................................................................7
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................9
Reference:................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction:
The modern world and the rapid industrialization have demanded for the sustainable
use of the natural resources all over the world. The governments of the different countries
across the world have developed different laws and regulations for the sustainable use of the
resources. These laws and regulations adopt different techniques and measures which differ
in each country. The purpose of this discussion is to compare the different measures for the
sustainable use of water and energy that has been taken by the Australian government with
that of any other foreign country. The chosen country for this comparison is New Zealand.
The discussion focuses on the different laws and regulations that have been adopted by the
two countries and how they have been effective in their purpose. A further comparison of the
policy helps in the proper identification of the more successful methods and what the other
country can learn from the respective policies.
Discussion:
Sustainable use of Energy and Water in Australia:
The Government has taken up several programs to encourage the sustainable use of
energy and water in Australia.
 Mission Innovation Champions Program encourages the individuals and scientists
who work for developing the new ideas for the sustainable use of energy in Australia
(Environment.gov.au 2018).
 Renewable Energy Target is a scheme of the Australian Government which aims at
reducing the emissions of the greenhouse gases in the electricity generation

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(Environment.gov.au 2018). The government has focused on the development of
methods to use sustainable and renewable energy in this sector.
 The Australian government has also developed the Solar Towns Programme which
targets to give the Australian community a chance to reduce the use of non-renewable
energy and engage in the use of the sustainable use of renewable energy to contribute
the society (Environment.gov.au 2018).
 The Australian government has developed the Australian Renewable Energy Agency
to develop new processes and innovative methods for the better and sustainable use of
the renewable energy and increase its use over the years (Environment.gov.au 2018).
 On-farm Irrigation Efficiency Program has been developed to help the farmers for the
efficient use of water resources for the irrigation purposes and at the same time
focusing on the sustainable use of water (Horne 2013).
 The New South Wales government has developed the Private Irrigation Infrastructure
Operators Program to encourage the sustainable use of resources by the private
operators and enhance the irrigation system of the country (Sivapalan et al. 2014).
There have been significant developments in the Australia regarding the innovative use of
the sustainable use of the renewable resources.
 The Australian Government is working in collaboration with the private entrepreneurs
to fund the research and development of the innovative measures and ideas for the
sustainable use of water and energy (Industry.gov.au 2018).
 The practical application of the research in the industries helps in the identification of
solutions for the problems faced in the innovation of new ideas for the sustainable use
of water and energy.
 The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain is an innovative project to refine the greenhouse
gases into a more sustainable renewable energy (Environment.gov.au 2018). The

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refined hydrogen gas helps in the reduction of pollution and is also cost-effective than
the coal gas or other non-renewable energy.
The Australian government has found that the research and development is not effectively
possible without the active participation of the private sector companies. Engagements of the
private entrepreneurs have boosted the research and development and have helped to reduce
the challenges that were being faced by the government in promoting the sustainable use of
water and energy. The government also takes part in the global initiatives to collaborate with
other countries to develop the research in the sector of the sustainable use of water and
energy.
Sustainable use of Water and Energy in New Zealand:
The Government of New Zealand has developed several programs for the sustainable use
of water and energy in the country. The country is known for its contribution to the
environmental sustainability and has always been an active participant in the improvement of
the environmental quality.
 The New Zealand government has developed the Sustainable Water Program of
Action as one of the primary projects for the sustainable use of resources in New
Zealand (Mfe.govt.nz 2018). The program focuses on the analysis of different case
scenarios and develops the new processes for the better management of resources.
The demands of fresh water are rising in some parts of the country. In order to
maintain the high quality of the available water, it is essential for the government to
focus on the sustainable use of water.
 The New Zealand government focuses on working in collaboration with the different
state governments to specifically focus on the different requirements of the local areas
and improve the sustainability reforms in a customized manner.

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 The New Zealand Government also focuses on the collaborative participation of the
colleges and universities and also the several private entrepreneurs to boost and
finance the different requirements for the development of the sustainability features.
Moreover, the availability of the researchers helps the government to focus on the
specific problems and solve them accordingly.
 However, the government of New Zealand continues to manage water as a public
resource to effectively control it with the Resource Management Act. The Act
safeguards the use of water in the most efficient manner and at the same time
maintains the quality of water that is available for use.
 New Zealand is one of the most successful countries to have sustainably used the
resources. Almost 40% of New Zealand’s energy is harnessed from the renewable
energies.
 New Zealand’s electricity supply is mostly generated by hydroelectricity. This
ensures the reduction in the emission of the greenhouse gases (Eeca.govt.nz 2018).
The use of hydroelectricity leaves no carbon footprint upon the environment and
promotes the sustainable use of energy.
 The New Zealand Government has created the organization named EECA to look
after the development of building affordable homes for the citizens which would use
solar energy as their prime source of energy (Eeca.govt.nz 2018). This aspect would
lead to the sustainable use of energy and at the same time decrease the emission of the
greenhouse gases in the environment.
Comparison of the two countries:
Australia and New Zealand, both the countries have taken the necessary measures for
maintaining the high standards of the sustainable use of resources. There are several policies
which are in action in both the countries to look deep into the matter of the sustainable use of

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water and energy. However, there are some basic differences in the policies of both the
countries as both Australia and New Zealand have taken a different approach in tackling the
issue of sustainability.
For example, in the case of the sustainable use of water Australia approaches the issue
of water sustainability from one perspective while New Zealand approaches it from a
different perspective. Australia, beyond its habitable cities has large stretches of dry lands
known as the Australian outback. Water is scarce in those dry lands and the people living in
the close proximity of the outback have to maintain a sustainable approach towards the use of
water (Horne 2013). Moreover, for the irrigation purposes, Australia needs innovative
technology to make a sustainable supply of water to the scarce areas. Hence, Australian
government has developed a number of policies and regulations which safeguard the
sustainable use of water for the irrigation purposes. On the other hand, New Zealand has a
more temperate climate where there is no shortage of water. However, the New Zealand has
to safeguard the benefits of the citizens and supply them with fresh water. There have been
reports of shortages in fresh water for the daily human activities, which required action for
the sustainable use of the water (Duncan 2013). Similarly, the New Zealand government has
developed several innovative ideas to fight the shortage of fresh water and provide its citizens
a sustainable supply of fresh water.
As both the governments have different approaches towards the sustainable use of the
water and energy resources, both can take inspiration from the regulations of each other.
Australia, which focuses primarily on the sustainable use of irrigation waters, should also
focus on the sustainable use of the fresh water. Australia is a large country with a growing
population. It is important for the Australian government to maintain a steady and sustainable
supply of water to avoid the negative impact on the environment and the society in the future
(Liu 2014). Similarly, New Zealand can take inspiration from Australia’s power generation

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technologies. The Australian government’s Renewable Energy Agency is one of the primary
strengths of Australia’s innovative power in the sustainable use of energy (Yu and Halog
2015). New Zealand can also establish an independent body like Australia, which can look
after the innovation part of the sustainable use of energy.
Conclusion:
The above discussion highlights the several aspects of the policies and regulations
regarding sustainability that have been adopted by Australia and New Zealand. Both the
countries have a different approach towards sustainability. This difference occurs due to the
dissimilarity of issues faced by the different countries. However, both the countries have an
innovative approach towards the issue and have been developing several innovative ideas for
the sustainable use of water and energy.

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Reference:
Duncan, R., 2013. Converting community knowledge into catchment nutrient limits: a
constructivist analysis of a New Zealand collaborative approach to water
management. Nature and Culture, 8(2), pp.205-225.
Eeca.govt.nz 2018. About the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. [online] EECA.
Available at: https://www.eeca.govt.nz/about-eeca/?stage=Live [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Eeca.govt.nz 2018. Hydroelectricity. [online] EECA. Available at:
https://www.eeca.govt.nz/energy-use-in-new-zealand/renewable-energy-resources/
hydroelectricity/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Eeca.govt.nz 2018. Solar energy. [online] EECA. Available at:
https://www.eeca.govt.nz/energy-use-in-new-zealand/renewable-energy-resources/solar/
[Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Environment.gov.au 2018. Department of the Environment and Energy. [online] Department
of the Environment and Energy. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/about-us
[Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Environment.gov.au 2018. Department of the Environment and Energy. [online] Department
of the Environment and Energy. Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-
change/government/renewable-energy [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Horne, J., 2013. Economic approaches to water management in Australia. International
Journal of Water Resources Development, 29(4), pp.526-543.

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Industry.gov.au 2018. Business and startups. [online] Department of Industry, Innovation and
Science. Available at: https://www.industry.gov.au/topic/funding-and-incentives/business-
and-startups [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Liu, G., 2014. Development of a general sustainability indicator for renewable energy
systems: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 31, pp.611-621.
Mfe.govt.nz 2018. Sustainable Water Programme of Action – Implementation Package |
Ministry for the Environment. [online] Mfe.govt.nz. Available at:
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/more/cabinet-papers-and-related-material-search/cabinet-papers/
freshwater/sustainable-water-0 [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018].
Sivapalan, M., Konar, M., Srinivasan, V., Chhatre, A., Wutich, A., Scott, C.A., Wescoat, J.L.
and Rodríguez‐Iturbe, I., 2014. Socio‐hydrology: Use‐inspired water sustainability science
for the Anthropocene. Earth's Future, 2(4), pp.225-230.
Yu, M. and Halog, A., 2015. Solar photovoltaic development in Australia—a life cycle
sustainability assessment study. Sustainability, 7(2), pp.1213-1247.