Western Australia's Murray groundwater plan open for comment

The Western Australian Department of Water is seeking public input into the draft Murray groundwater allocation plan which it released on April 16th. The public comment period is open for 2 months.

The plan provides direction on how the Department licenses, allocates and manages the groundwater resources for most of the Murray and Waroona shires on the Swan coastal plain between the Darling Scarp, the Harvey and Serpentine rivers, and the Peel Harvey Estuary. The Murray groundwater area is located approximately 50 km south of Perth and covers an area of 1,050 square kilometres.The towns of Ravenswood, Pinjarra, Waroona and North Dandalup are located in the plan area.

The Department's Director of Water Resource Use Rob Hammond said the public were invited to a community meeting in Mandurah on April 28th to hear about the plan which promotes sustainable allocation of the groundwater, together with a transparent decision-making process.

Mr Hammond said:

Our aim is to ensure that the use of our groundwater resources is efficient and fit for purpose. We also provide for a balance between current uses and future demand, while maintaining our water-dependent ecosystems and the water resource. The updating of allocations based on current information has lead to a change in limits, with more water available in some areas.

One of the biggest challenges we face is balancing the allocation of groundwater between existing uses and land developments, while at the same time planning for future land use change resulting from intensification of agricultural, urban and industrial activities.

Mr Hammond said the plan formed part of the Department's commitments to provide information on water availability to the Department of Planning and the Western Australian Planning Commission for use in the Urban growth management strategy for the South Metro Peel Region, and local shire rural strategies. It would be supported by the Department's forthcoming Murray drainage and water management plan due for release later this year.

The plan was developed in line with current legislation and departmental policies governing the allocation of water entitlements. Rules for allocations were based on promoting efficient use of the resources with a view to optimising regional growth.

A statement of response produced by the department to summarise all the public comments submitted and its responses to them, will be released with the final plan.

Background to the Plan

The Department has actively managed groundwater take and use in the Murray groundwater area since 1998. One of the biggest challenges identified in the preparation of the plan is balancing the allocation of groundwater between existing uses and land developments, while at the same time planning for future land use change resulting from intensification of agricultural, urban and industrial activities. This allocation plan provides:

an update on how the Department licences and allocates groundwater resources in the Murray groundwater area
guidance to make sure that planning for drainage, land use and water allocation is done in a consistent way
the approach to managing the effects of abstraction on groundwater quality and groundwater-dependent ecosystems and
how the plan will be implemented and reviewed.

The Department developed this plan in response to:

increased demand for urban and industrial use of groundwater
increased pressures on groundwater resources as a result of urban drainage
the existing and potential environmental impacts resulting from groundwater abstraction and
the existing and potential water quality impacts resulting from groundwater abstraction.

Download the Murray Groundwater Allocation Plan