Regulating water pollution from light industry: Lessons from the Swan-Canning

This article examines policy mechanisms and instruments for curbing water pollution from light industry. It outlines the major challenges confronting regulators in addressing this elusive sector, as well as some of the limitations in current policy approaches. The key components of an effective strategy are described, together with the possible roles of various institutional actors and a range of potential surrogate regulators. This is the third in a series of policy discussions placed in the context of the Swan-Canning river catchment, a region that has experienced high levels of water pollution.