Australia will not meet Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1, to “achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” by 2030, unless water service provision is improved to hundreds of small (less than 10,000 residents), rural and remote (SRR) communities. This paper estimates the national benefits and costs of upgrading drinking water services in 395 Australian SRR communities, and reviews enabling conditions for improved water services, particularly within Indigenous communities. A stated preference survey of 3,523 participants calculated willingness to pay (WTP) at AU$1.2–4.7 billion annually, or AU$8.3–33.2 billion net present value over 10 years. Estimated capital and operating costs ranged from AU$0.2 billion to AU$1.3 billion. The study highlights the need for cultural competence, systems thinking, and ongoing support to deliver sustainable water improvements.

Ana Manero, Wiktor Adamowicz, Sonia Akter, Alaya Spencer-Cotton, Peter J. Coombes, Paul Wyrwoll, James Horne, Nina Lansbury, Sandra Creamer, Katherine Selena Taylor, Safa Fanaian, R. Quentin Grafton