Professor Alex Gardner
University of Western Australia
Alex Gardner is Emeritus Professor of Law at The University of Western Australia, where he taught and researched natural resources, environmental, constitutional, and administrative law from 1988 until 2025.
A respected legal academic, he has authored over 100 research publications, supervised eight research students to completion, and contributed to major national research programs.
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Alex’s work has influenced courts, parliaments, and policy bodies, including the Productivity Commission’s 2024 National Water Reform Inquiry.
A long-standing member of the Centre for Mining, Energy and Natural Resources Law, he also held adjunct teaching roles at ANU and the University of Queensland.
Topic :
The National Water Agreement, water Resources Law Reform in Western Australia and the Mining Industry
Abstract
Two documents published in 2024, the Productivity Commission's National Water Reform Inquiry report (June 2024) and draft National Water Agreement (December 2024), are poised to frame discussions about water resources law reform in Western Australia, with potential impacts on the mining industry and its use of and impacts on water resources.
What are the key messages from these two documents with regard to, for example:
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recognizing and respecting Indigenous rights and interests in water resources,
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legal provisions for water security in a changing climate, and
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how the established instruments of water planning, monitoring and reporting; water access rights; and water markets need reform to address the water law reform goals.
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Reference may be made to some case studies that have attracted regulatory and media attention.