1.1.4.4 Groundwater planning and use

Groundwater in Queensland is managed under the Water Act 2000 through subsequent Water Resource Plans (WRP), Resource Operations Plans (ROPs) that are prepared for proclaimed/declared areas (Queensland Government, 2013a, 2013b, 2013c), or through declared Sub-artesian Areas under the Water Regulation 2002. ROPs provide the operational details to meet the goals of Water Resource Plans, including monitoring and reporting. The applicable water resource plan or sub-artesian area outlines the licence requirements for the take of water as well as the permit requirements to construct bores.

A licence is generally required for:

extraction of groundwater for purposes other than stock and domestic use within proclaimed/declared areas (Water Resource Plan areas, declared Sub-artesian Areas)
taking artesian water for any purpose and from any location.

It should be noted that a licence is required for the taking of sub-artesian water hydraulically linked to GAB artesian water for stock purpose in some parts of the Great Artesian Basin WRP.

Metering of groundwater extraction can be required for licensed groundwater access.

Water Resource Plans are generally catchment-based for surface water management, and may include specific groundwater management areas (GMAs) and may also regulate groundwater hydraulically connected to surface water. The Great Artesian Basin Water Resource Plan differs in that it applies to artesian water and connected sub-artesian water in an area that spans parts of several surface water catchments. Groundwater in the Galilee Basin and potentially impacted areas is managed under the Water Resource Plans described in Table 6 . Sub-artesian Areas which also regulate groundwater in the Galilee Basin include the Highlands Sub-artesian Area and Great Artesian Basin Sub-artesian Area.

The general reserves for a water management area are shown in Table 6. The Water Resource Plan (Great Artesian Basin) was published in 2006 (Queensland Government, 2013b). The Great Artesian Basin WRP includes aquifers from Galilee Basin, specifically the Clematis Group, Warang Sandstone, and Rewan Group, as well as aquifers found within the overlying Eromanga Basin. The GMAs usually include stratigraphic units from the Eromanga and Galilee Basins. The Western GMA is the only area that is exclusively Eromanga Basin.

As there is not one management unit that considers the general reserves for the Galilee Basin subregion, they must be inferred from seven plans that overlap with the basin. Further analysis is required to understand the percentage of allocation for each Water Resource Plan within the Galilee Basin.

Table 6 Water Resource Plans and Groundwater Management Areas

Water Resource Plans	Relevant groundwater management area/zone	General Reserves for water licences in the management area/zone
Great Artesian Basin (2006) plan covers artesian water and connected sub-artesian water, while connected springs includes 25 spatial GMAs, each with several stratigraphic GMUs. The Great Artesian Basin Water Resource Plan includes some of the aquifers found in the Galilee Basin (Warang Sandstone, Clematis Group, Dunda beds, Rewan Group) as well as aquifers in the overlying Eromanga Basin.	7. Flinders GMA – 5 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Clematis Group 8. Flinders East GMA – 5 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Warang Sandstone 11. Barcaldine West GMA – 5 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Clematis Group 12. Barcaldine North GMA - 3 GMUs covering Wallumbilla Formation – Clematis Group 13. Barcaldine East GMA - 4 GMUs covering Westbourne Formation – Rewan Group 14. Barcaldine South GMA - 6 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Clematis Group 15. Western GMA - 2 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Algebuckina Sandstone 16. Central GMA - 7 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Rewan Group 17. Warrego West GMA - 7 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Rewan Group 18. Warrego East GMA – 7 GMUs covering Toolebuc Formation – Rewan Group	7. Flinders GMA – 2000 ML. 8. Flinders East – 100 ML. 11. Barcaldine West GMA – 3000 ML. 12. Barcaldine North – 500 ML. 13. Barcaldine East – 0 ML. 14. Barcaldine South – 1500 ML. 15. Western – 0 ML. 16. Central – 1000 ML. 17. Warrego West – 1000 ML. 18. Warrego East – 4000 ML.
Gulf (2007) plan covers artesian and sub-artesian waters that are not Great Artesian Basin water, and springs not connected to Great Artesian Basin water. Surface water - groundwater under or within 1 km of a watercourse is considered to be within the watercourse. Includes 3 spatial GMAs.	1. Great Artesian Basin GMA (predominantly defined by the Flinders River Catchment Area)	Volumetric limits are allocated based on catchment and subcatchment areas. Flinders River Catchment Area – 80 000 ML.
Burdekin Basin (2007) plan covers recharge springs and surface water. Groundwater designated as ‘watercourse’ water in the Giro Benefited Groundwater Area.	Nil	N/A
Fitzroy Basin (2011) plan covers groundwater; recharge springs. Surface water includes 5 spatial GMAs, which may include sub-areas and stratigraphic GMUs.	Carnarvon GMA Highlands GMA – Groundwater Unit 1 (alluvials) and Groundwater Unit 2 (non-alluvials), and Sandy Creek Alluvium groundwater sub-area	Carnarvon – 250 ML. Fitzroy – 500 ML.
Warrego, Paroo, Bulloo and Nebine (2003) plan covers recharge springs and surface water.	Nil	N/A
Cooper Creek (2011) plan covers recharge springs, surface water, and sub-artesian groundwater that is hydraulically linked to surface water (i.e. surface water and hydraulically linked groundwater managed as a single resource).	Nil, but Water Resource Plan refers to protected watercourses, waterholes and lakes, which may have implications for hydraulically connected groundwater	N/A
Georgina and Diamantina (2004) plan covers surface water and sub-artesian groundwater that is hydraulically linked to surface water (i.e. surface water and hydraulically linked groundwater managed as a single resource).	Nil	N/A

Source: Compiled from National Water Commission (2011) and Queensland Government (2013a, 2013b, 2013c). GMU: Groundwater management unit GMA: Groundwater management area

Last updated:

5 January 2018

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