Surface water management framework summary

Surface water in Australia is primarily managed at either the catchment or subcatchment scale, but there is much variation between the states and territories in how surface water management plans are developed and applied. Some plans cover only a portion of the management area; some plans overlap, with multiple plans applying to the one water management area to address different management issues (e.g. licensing and environmental requirements may be included in different plans).

A summary of the water management frameworks applicable to surface water management plan areas in each of the jurisdictions is given below (see also the table below). The surface water management framework map below shows the distribution of those water management plan areas and describes the status of plans where applicable.

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory has one surface water management plan area, which includes the three surface water management plan areas that were identified for the 2000 National Land and Water Resources Audit. All water resources in the Australian Capital Territory are managed on a whole-of-territory basis under a 1999 policy entitled Think Water Act Water. This policy was revised in 2004.

Commonwealth-owned water resources in the Australian Capital Territory are managed by the National Capital Authority.

New South Wales

Surface water management in New South Wales is based on a system of water sharing plans. There are 31 water sharing plans that cover the majority of regulated areas of New South Wales and have been operational since July 2004. Many of these plans cover only parts of surface water management areas, so only ten surface water management areas in New South Wales are considered to have complete coverage of the area. Macro' water sharing plans as well the Metro Plan and a series of independent water sharing plans that cover most of the remaining parts of New South Wales are currently in progress, with macro plans expected to become operational in July 2007.

Northern Territory

Due to the low volume of surface water development, most of the Northern Territory (38 surface water management areas) is managed by statewide policy. Six water control districts have been identified in regions with significant surface water or groundwater use, of which four are managed through a regional area management plan. Only one plan is finalised at this stage and it covers less than five per cent of the relevant surface water management area.

Queensland

Water resource plans are being developed for 30 out of 64 surface water catchment areas in Queensland. These cover over 80 per cent of the total land area of Queensland (see the surface water management framework map below). The provisions of each water resource plan are implemented through an accompanying resource operations plan. Of the 30 water resource plan areas, only 16 have final or draft plans in place.

South Australia

South Australia has recently changed many of its water management boundaries in line with newly prescribed water management plan areas. For the purposes of this assessment, the boundaries have been defined on the current prescribed water resource area boundaries and a subdivision of the unincorporated areas. The prescribed water resource areas cover the principal surface water resources in South Australia, because a large proportion of South Australia does not have any significant useable surface water resources. Once an area is prescribed as requiring management, a water allocation plan is developed. These water management areas can encompass surface water, watercourses and groundwater within the same boundaries. Only four prescribed surface water areas have final plans in place currently; however, a further 13 are in progress.

Tasmania

Tasmania operates under the policy framework emplaced through the Water Management Act 1999 . Of Tasmania's 48 surface water management areas, 37 (77 per cent) are managed under statewide policy, while four (23 per cent) are managed, or planned to be managed by water management plans. In seven (15 per cent) of the surface water management plan areas, water is allocated to Hydro Tasmania for electricity generation purposes under its special water licence (administered under the Water Management Act 1999) . Hydro Tasmania releases water to other users under special agreements.

Victoria

Victoria has an overarching statewide policy that gives the state government the overall right to the use, flow and control of all surface water and groundwater on behalf of all Victorians. These rights will be extended to include stormwater and recycled water. Of the 29 identified surface water management plan areas, 27 have individual area management plans covering either part or all of the area (e.g. bulk entitlements, sustainable water strategies, sustainable diversion limits). The remaining two areas in western Victoria have little surface water and are covered by statewide policy.

Western Australia

The main developed water resource in Western Australia is groundwater, as a result of the largely seasonal nature of surface water resources across much of the state. More than a third of the surface water management areas in the state (covering about 50 per cent of the state's area) have been identified as not requiring a plan for surface water management because they are internally draining basins that have minimal surface water resources or diversions.

Status of surface water planning

Status of surface water planning

Download high resolution Map:

Status of surface water planning (1.6 Meg)

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Interactive Maps:

Click on the links below to create and customise your own versions of the maps (e.g. add or remove layers) using the Map Maker tool on the Australian Natural Resource Atlas website:

• ANRA Map Maker Surface Water data

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