Testing for scope and scale efficiencies in water quality tenders: Final report

In the study reported here, these issues have been tested with a water quality tender performed in the Burdekin catchment in north Queensland in 2007 and 2008. The tender incorporated landholders from the cane and grazing industries in the Burdekin and Haughton catchments. Proposals were received for more than $2.1 million in funding for a range of activities that would reduce nitrogen, sediment and pesticide emissions. A metric was used to select 33 proposals out of 87 submitted, with $605,000 allocated in funding.