In particular, better utilising economic instruments (e.g. pollution charges, taxes or water quality trading) can create incentives to reduce pollution, and increase the cost effectiveness of and innovation in pollution control strategies. Recommendations include: i) providing overarching national policy guidance and minimum standards, ii) creating the institutional framework setting the distribution of responsibilities across levels of government, iii) stakeholder engagement on approaches to manage perceived and actual risks, and a commitment to reach solutions in partnership, iu) signalling policy changes and highlighting options for implementation, and v) stimulating the diffusion of innovative technical and policy approaches that minimise the cost of water quality management (including seed funding, space for experimentation and making pollution costly). Lastly, monitoring, enforcement and evaluation of policy implementation, ongoing stakeholder engagement, and reassessment of the risks, are necessary in order to adapt to future changes in climate, economic growth, population dynamics and advances in science and technology.