The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has released a statement urging substantial and sustained investment to address critical shortfalls in water and sanitation services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The statement follows the Australian Government’s 2025/26 Federal Budget and reiterates WSAA’s ongoing commitment to Closing the Gap in access to safe and secure water.
WSAA’s 2022 Closing the Water for People and Communities Gap report detailed the extent of inequity in drinking water services across hundreds of First Nations communities. In 2025, the gap between service levels in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the broader population remains a significant concern.
Recent announcements in the Federal Budget signal some progress. $37 million is allocated for upgrades in the Torres Strait, $21.1 million is redirected to urgent First Nations water infrastructure through the National Water Grid, and a continued commitment of $270 million over forward estimates for capital works. These investments complement the $120 million in state and Commonwealth funding committed over the past year and support the estimated $150 million annual operating cost to service around 460 communities nationwide.
HSAA welcomes these commitments; however, they still fall short of the estimated $3.5 to $4 billion needed to ensure that all First Nations communities receive water and sanitation services that meet standards. Communities continue to face serious challenges, including damaged or contaminated bores, saline drinking water, leaking infrastructure, and inadequate systems that compromise health hardware at home.
WSAA’s recommendations focus on four key areas:
- Continue funding the minimum $270 million over forward estimates from National Water Grid Funding for capital works for First Nations water services
- A nationally coordinated approach to focus on aesthetics in water quality to improve house and community health and liveability through improved consumption of drinking water, reliable use of taps and toilets and other water-using appliances
- Investment to roll-out culturally appropriate water services skills and training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to develop a pathway to self-management and determination
- Investment is needed to develop design guidelines for critical water assets and processes, including disinfection, filtration, and water and sanitation networks, to improve health outcomes and ensure long-term sustainable use of infrastructure.
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