Once introduced, the cap also served to support the emerging water markets in the Basin, which in turn helped accelerate the movement of limited water resources towards higher-value uses. A broad basin-wide framework underpinned individual Basin State implementation of these reforms, it contained the possibility of funding being withheld if desired outcomes were not achieved. The NWI recommitted governments to the national water reform objectives that commenced in 1994 and which sought to improve management of water resources and water infrastructure, and to increase national cooperation via financial incentives and other mechanisms. The NWI also committed jurisdictions to defining water rights (water allocations and water access entitlements) in a manner which would encourage greater compatibility and facilitate more trading across state borders.