South East Queensland
17.21 Other surface water decreases

The volumetric value for the line item at the end of the 2011–12 year was 6,165 ML.

This line item represents transfers of supplemented allocations out of the South East Queensland (SEQ) region. This line item only represents the surface water transfers out of the SEQ region; no diversions for use within the SEQ region are included.

Although the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) has records of entitlement, allocation and diversions from storages in the water management system (WMS) database, data were needed from Toowoomba regional council to determine the diversions transferred out of the SEQ region to the town of Toowoomba. Toowoomba is located outside the SEQ region, on the Great Dividing Range and obtains much of its town water supply from within the SEQ region.

Water was pumped out of Lake Perseverance and Lake Cressbrook by the resource operation licence (ROL) holder (Toowoomba regional council) to Toowoomba via a series of tanks and minor storages to Mount Kynoch water treatment plant. Potable water was then supplied to the town of Toowoomba.

The transfer of 6,165 ML has been included in this line item, as the ROL holder was the organisation undertaking the transfer. The actual abstraction of water from Lake Perseverance has been included in line item 13.2 Adjustment and forfeiture of surface water allocation – urban water system rather than line item 11.12 Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water system as the ROL holder did not provide the water to a third party within the SEQ region, but rather transferred the water out of the region themselves.

If the ROL holder had diverted water from the WSS to a third party and then the third party transferred the water out of the SEQ region, this would not be reported as a transfer out of the region in the 2012 Account, as the third party is not the surface water licensing authority.

Toowoomba regional council ROL holder records.

DNRM.

DNRM obtained the volume of water transferred from Lake Perseverance to Toowoomba from Toowoomba regional council.

DNRM has accepted these measured transfer values from Toowoomba regional council in good faith.

Derived from measured data. DNRM reliability and accuracy rating is B2.