The Sustainability
Challenge
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE REPORTING
TO ENHANCE SUSTAINABILITY
The challenge

The project vision is for…
“…an irrigation industry that applies triplebottom-line reporting for continuous
improvement and enhanced
sustainability”.
Sustainability Challenge Project

Concurrent and converging components
TBL
Framework
Participatory
Method
Evaluation
Method
SI’s, their
selection
and use
Knowledge
about
sustianability
and irrigation
Irrigation
Sustainability
Assessment
Guidelines
Case study
Organisation
Analysis
Case Study
Evaluation
Case
Study
Learning
TBL
reporting
review
TBL
Reporting
and
evaluation
Workshops
& Planning
Irrigation Sustainability Assessment
1. Irrigation sustainability principles
2. High-level objectives
3. Linkages between each high-level objective and:
Subcomponents
Operational objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------4. Indicators and performance measures
Irrigation Sustainability Principles
1.
Ensuring the health of the supply river and
groundwater/drainage systems, and maintaining
extractions at sustainable levels
2.
Using, conserving and enhancing the land/water/ biota
resources in irrigation areas and associated areas, now
and into the future
3.
Maintaining the economic and social services and
benefits to rural and associated urban communities that
enhances the quality of life, now and into the future
ISAF AND MI BUSINESS PLANNING
1. Irrigation sustainability principles
2. High-level objectives – based on
issues of concern for stakeholders
3. Component tree of each H-L objective
Subcomponents
Operational objectives
------------------------------------------------------
4. Sustainability indicators
MI - Management
plans/activities of
irrigation company
such as: Business
plan, LWMP, etc
Business objectives
Activities - KPI’s
Lower two tiers of generic component tree modifiable by users to suit local
conditions/concerns provide flexibility, and direct links to MI business management
plans/activities
‘Business Scorecard’
A business management approach links discussion of overall
strategic directions with each business unit’s goals; allows input
from staff on business objectives as well as performance indicators
Strategic Plan
Strategic Directions Document
Business Unit Plan
Individual and team performance plans
Corporate Plan
Executive performance Plan
Overview of sustainability issues
Environmental issues / objectives
In BSC plan
Added to BSC
Other
Downstream impacts on water
resources
Degradation of irrigated lands –
e.g. salinity
Maintain water quality
Weeds
Catchment target implications
Disjointed biodiversity areas
Climate change – reduce
greenhouse emissions
WUE & groundwater recharge
Climate change – seek energy
efficiencies
Root zone salinity / depth of
groundwater
Ecosystem services opportunities
Sub optimal understanding of
impacts of irrigation
Biophysical state of
Murrumbidgee & Tumut Rivers –
upstream in and downstream
impact
Long term viability of perennial
horticulture
Lack of land use capability
information
Overview of sustainability issues
Economic issues / objectives
In BSC plan
Reduced allocations to area
Maintain profitability of irrigation
farming
Water trade
Increased legislative requirements –
influence legislation
MI governance
Added to BSC
Long term infrastructure –
financial security
Minimise impacts of water
competition / maintain
attractiveness
Other
Attract / maintain value adding
industries
Maintain / grow diversity of
agricultural industry
Sustaining growth of
businesses
Maintain / grow diversity of
industries
Benchmarking performance with other irrigation areas
Overview of sustainability issues
Social-political issues / objectives
In BSC plan
Employment security within company
Added to BSC
Add to quality of life in
region
Attract skilled & unskilled labour
Gain/influence community acceptance of irrigation
Other
Declining services: health, education & transport
Employment security in region
Rural unemployment
Change in population
demographics
Reduce poverty / equitable wealth
distribution
Diminishing political significance
Image of irrigation in wider
community
Reduced government support /
input into NRM
Controlling development demand
ISAF and the Urban case study

Successful application with
 Lower Nepean Hawksbury Water Users Assoc,
primary producer and cut flower irrigators
 Councils
 Water provider

4 tier framework adapted to 5 step worksheet
5 Step Process
Step 1
Adopt or develop principles that
define irrigation sustainability
Irrigation Sustainability
Principles (ISAF)
1…etc
New sustainability principled
(if needed)
Step 2
Adopt or develop high-level objectives
to give more detail about sustainability
in irrigation
High level objectives (ISAF)
1…etc
New high level obj (if needed)
Step 3
List the issues with regard to irrigation
sustainability, that your organisation
would like to improve




Step 4
Turn these issues into objectives for
your organisation
Objectives that will help our
organisation improve our
irrigation sustainability
Indicators for each objective
1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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Step 5
Develop indicators for each objective
that will show progress towards
sustainability.
Urban response to framework

Responses to evaluation of the process
 100% of participants thought it relevant
 100% of participants thought it a useful process
 94% of participants thought the process easy to use

Readily usable and logical process, good for
planning specific action from general ideas about
sustainability.
 Plain language version needed
 Electronic format would be good
Final products – Report Series
1.
TBL Approach and Irrigation Sustainability Assessment (Mid May)
•
The triple bottom line approach and performance reporting in the Australian
irrigation industry,
•
Irrigation Sustainability Assessment Framework
•
Indicators of performance and their criteria for selection.
2.
Case Study Experience (Mid May)
•
Murrumbidgee Irrigation Case Study,
•
Lower Burdekin Case Study,
•
Urban Case Study,
•
Murray Irrigation Limited and their move to sustainability reporting
3.
Integrated reporting processes (Early June)
•
Participatory approach to performance reporting
•
Evaluating performance reporting across each case study
4.
Sustainability Reporting For Irrigation - TBL recipe / glossy (June 30)
•
background, ISAF and indicators, how to …,
•
appendix case study summaries