Groundwater management plans
Groundwater in Australia is managed at both the statewide scale (through the
application of statewide policy) and at a more detailed local area scale. More
than 50 per cent of Australia is still managed at the statewide scale as a
result of the low level of development or poor quality of groundwater resources.
Groundwater water management plans for specific areas vary across jurisdictions
and generally cover a portion of an aquifer or all aquifers at that location.
For the purposes of this assessment, these areas are referred to as groundwater
management units. Areas that lie outside of the groundwater management units
in each jurisdiction are referred to as the unincorporated areas.
Groundwater is the primary water supply for much of Australia
As noted earlier for surface water, the development of area-specific groundwater
management plans requires a detailed understanding of local water use, water
use practices, the environmental water requirements and water availability.
In areas not covered by water management plans, water sharing arrangements
are governed by state legislation, regional area plans or statewide policy
without detailed investigations on the availability and use of the local resources
or environmental water requirements. Areas without specific management arrangements
may have either low levels of water development, or a lack of resources to
invest in developing a water management plan for that area.
In general, groundwater management units cover areas that have highly developed
groundwater resources. They usually apply to aquifers that have high quality
water (low salinity levels), and yields that are economically viable to extract.
Related links
Groundwater management plans is discussed in more detail in the following
sections:
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