Water politics in Victoria: The impact of legislative design, policy objectives and institutional constraints on rural water supply governance

The thesis considers the development of legislative and administrative structures for Victorian rural water governance, and how their origins constrained the institutional development of water supply policy thereafter. It is focused on the self-reinforcing nature of policy choices and understanding how subsequent decision makers are influenced by the cultures, norms and practices that are unique to the institution. It offers the first comprehensive account of how the institutional structure concerning rural water supply governance in Victoria influenced the evolution of policy. Through this analysis, it offers an important insight into many issues concerning the ongoing water policy debate in Australia.