1.3.1.2 Compiling assets and developing the water-dependent asset register

Assets were initially obtained from national and state governments. An expert workshop was held in Lismore, NSW on 12 December 2014 and in Brisbane (Queensland) on 19 January, 2015. Representatives from the three levels of government (e.g. water management officers), were invited to learn about the Bioregional Assessment process and see what type of assets had already been obtained. They were encouraged to provide feedback about the process and water-dependency decisions and provide links for missing data. Missing assets were obtained, if possible, and the asset register was updated.

1.3.1.2.1 Ecological assets

Ecological asset information for the Clarence-Moreton bioregion was acquired from a number of sources. Data were initially compiled via the BA-purpose-built Water Asset Information Tool (WAIT) database, which was populated by NRMs with contributions from those with expert local knowledge. Asset information for Queensland was provided by the South East Queensland NRM group. Asset information for NSW was provided by the former Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA)[1]. Data were also combined with other national, state and regional authorities to complement the coverage of assets provided by the WAIT for the Clarence-Moreton bioregion.

Within the asset database, each surface water, groundwater and vegetation polygon, line or point was identified as an element. Elements were grouped by class and spatial location to create assets, which were assigned unique asset identifiers. For example, the ecological asset ‘treed regional ecosystems and riverine wetlands on alluvia with near-permanent flow’ (Asset identifier 16996), which comprises 2545 polygon elements, was classified as a groundwater-dependent ecosystem. The Clarence River estuary (Asset identifier 6714) has 250 elements and was classified as a surface water feature, in the ‘lake, reservoir, lagoon or estuary’ class. Acacia Creek (Asset identifier 15011) has three elements and was classified as a surface water feature in the ‘river or stream reach, tributary, anabranch or bend’ class. Table 3 lists the number of elements and resultant assets for each data source, along with the data custodians for the ecological assets in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion.

Table 3 Data sources for ecological assets in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion

^aThe asset database (Bioregional Assessment Programme, Dataset 1) is a collation of all these source datasets. Some assets may be captured in multiple databases. These replicates are retained in the asset register as boundaries may differ between databases.

1.3.1.2.2 Economic assets

For a BA, water access entitlements are classed into economic elements and assets as either a basic water right (stock and domestic) or as a water access right and their associated water sources; and all the economic assets are considered as water dependent (Mount et al., 2015). An economic asset contains variable numbers of economic elements. An economic element is a combination of an entitlement and its associated work approvals that enable the element to have a specific location. Economic elements are grouped into assets based on water sources in the relevant water sharing plans (WSPs) or water management strategies.

The compiling of the economic asset database and maps for the Clarence-Moreton PAE included four main steps:

Data associated with economic assets for Queensland and NSW were sourced from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines (Bureau of Meteorology, Dataset 15) and the NSW Office of Water respectively to determine economic assets (NSW Office of Water, Dataset 16) (Table 4). Data related to basic landholder rights in NSW were sourced online from the publicly available WSPs (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2014). The collected data cover groundwater and surface water access entitlements, and their corresponding works locations.

In collating the economic elements, it was considered important to ensure no current or active water access entitlements were excluded to avoid underestimation of possible impacts, even where there was doubt about the current status of the entitlement as in ‘sleeper’ licences. For example, basic water rights (stock and domestic) do not have to be renewed on a regular basis thus leading to some uncertainty about their current use status. This meant that only surface water and groundwater access entitlements that are definitely ‘abandoned’, ‘cancelled’ or ‘suspended’ as of 20 November 2013 are excluded for BA purposes.

An economic element may be either a point, line or polygon spatial feature in the asset database and maps. When the location information associated with a water access entitlement was known, the economic element was represented by a point. Otherwise, an economic element was linked to its water source and described by a line or polygon depending on its associated water source. For example, a basic water access right that is held adjacent to a river usually does not have a specified location. However, it is recorded that a particular segment of the river is the water source for this water access right. Thus, the basic water access right will be linked to the associated river segment that is represented by a line or polygon, depending on its width.

Table 4 Data sources for economic assets in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion

^aThe asset database (Bioregional Assessment Programme, Dataset 1) is a collation of all these source datasets. Some assets may be captured in multiple databases. These replicates are retained in the asset register as boundaries may differ between databases.

1.3.1.2.3 Sociocultural assets

Sociocultural data was sourced from the Australian Heritage Database (Australian Government Department of the Environment, Dataset 17, Dataset 18, Dataset 19, Dataset 20) (Table 5). Typically, sociocultural assets that are landscape water features were also included in the ecological asset classes.

Indigenous sites were included, where publicly listed in the Register of the National Estate (RNE). Meetings have been held with Indigenous knowledge holders in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion to gain further understanding of Indigenous cultural water-dependent assets.

Where possible and appropriate, and with the agreement of Indigenous knowledge holders, these additional Indigenous water-related values will be published in a separate report. Identified assets will be incorporated into an updated water-dependent asset register and/or incorporated into later technical products.

Table 5 Data sources in the Australian Heritage Database for sociocultural assets in the Clarence-Moreton bioregion

^aThe asset database (Bioregional Assessment Programme, Dataset 1) is a collation of all these source datasets. Some assets may be captured in multiple databases. These replicates are retained in the asset register as boundaries may differ between databases.