South East Queensland: Water management
The authority for the administration of basic water rights and water entitlements (interim allocations, water licences, and water allocations) is governed by water plans prepared by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. Water plans are developed to determine an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental demands on water resources. Water management protocols, resource and distribution operations licences, and operations manuals are used to implement the water plans.
For further information on the region's water management scroll down this page or click on the links below:
- Surface water and groundwater management
- Environmental water management
- Cultural water management
- Organisations responsible for water management
Surface water and groundwater management
Water legislation
The Queensland Water Act 2000 (Water Act) provides the authority for the administration of basic water rights and water entitlements (interim allocations, water licences, and water allocations) in Queensland. The Water Act is supported by the Water Regulation 2016 which provides details on the procedures and fees associated with water access entitlements and trading.
Under Section 42 of the Water Act, the relevant minister may prepare a water plan for any part of Queensland to advance the sustainable management of water. Water plans may be prepared for, but are not limited to, the purposes listed under Section 43 of the Water Act.
Water management plans
The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy prepares water plans to specify how water resources are to be shared between competing needs in particular areas. The plans are developed through extensive community consultation and scientific assessment to ensure the right balance between economic, social and environmental demands on the water resource.
The South East Queensland region contains four water plan areas: Gold Coast, Moreton, Logan Basin, and part of the Mary Basin, as shown in Figure R7. Water plans (WPs) are in place for each of these areas, which have associated water management protocols (WMPs), and resources operations licences (ROLs) which act as follows:
- Water plans replace and contain the same information as superseded water resource plans (WRPs). They also specify water management areas, trading zones, as well as criteria for deciding water licence applications, which were previously contained in superseded resource operations plan (ROPs).
- Water management protocols contain water sharing and water allocation dealing rules for the permanent trading of supplemented and unsupplemented water in plan areas. They also contain seasonal water assignment rules for unsupplemented water. Supplemented rules for water supply schemes (WSSs) are now found in the respective scheme’s operations manual.
- Resource operations licences contain information about the roles and responsibilities of WSS operators. The operations manuals contain the day-to-day operational, water sharing and seasonal water assignment rules for supplemented water in their respective schemes to achieve the outcomes of the WP.
The relevant instruments for the South East Queensland region are summarised in Table R1. Many of the WMPs and ROLs for the region are still in preparation, so the superseded ROPs (containing the same information) are still publicly available.
| Water plan (WP) | Water management protocol (WMP) | Resource operations licence (ROL) |
| Water Plan (Gold Coast) 2006 | Gold Coast Water Management Protocol | Nerang WSS ROL |
| Water Plan (Logan Basin) 2007 | Logan Basin Water Management Protocol (currently in preparation) | Logan River WSS ROL (currently in preparation) |
| Water Plan (Moreton) 2007 |
Moreton Water Management Protocol (currently in preparation) |
Central Brisbane River WSS ROL |
| Water Plan (Mary Basin) 2006 | Mary Basin Water Management Protocol (currently in preparation) |
Baroon Pocket WSS ROL |
Figure R7 Water plan areas in the South East Queensland region
The following groundwater management areas (GMAs) exist within the South East Queensland region, as shown in Figure R8:
- Cressbrook Creek Alluvial
- Lockyer Valley
- Warrill Bremer Alluvial
- Watercourse Buffer Zone
- Cooloola Sandmass subartesian area.
The first four are located within the Moreton Water Plan area, with the Cooloola Sandmass subartesian area located in the Mary Basin Water Plan area. These were yet to be included in a (now superseded) ROP prior to the changes in water planning legislation that occurred during the 2016–17 year. The Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers (GABORA) Water Plan area also underlies part of the region, as discussed in Geographic information.
Figure R8 Groundwater management areas in the South East Queensland region
Environmental water management
Environmental water legislation
The Water Act covers water for the environment. Water plans are produced in accordance with the Water Act and must establish environmental flow objectives and ecological outcomes and consider environmental values listed in the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009.
Environmental water provisions
The environmental flow objectives in the plan area are met through rules governing storage releases and limiting abstractions. Its aim is to retain various temporal flow characteristics at different nodes along the rivers. Environmental top-up releases from storages are required to ensure that environmental flow objectives are met. The volume required for release will vary depending upon the environmental flow objectives and flow conditions. Various performance indicators are used for assessing environmental flow objectives, as described in the Environmental benefit note.
More details on specific environmental flow provisions can be found in the four water plans active in the region (Gold Coast, Moreton, Mary Basin, and Logan Basin).
Cultural water management
In all four water plans in the region, one of the general outcomes for sustainable management of water is to allow (water-related) cultural use of the plan area by the traditional owners of the area. Other relevant plans include the South East Queensland Natural Resource Management Plan 2009–2031 emphasises the recognition of traditional owners as natural resource managers. This plan acknowledges the SEQ Traditional Owner Cultural Resource Management Plan and its targets and actions as an integral element of regional natural resource management planning.
The South East Queensland Traditional Owners Alliance (SEQTOA) is the peak body formed by traditional owner cultural groups in the South East Queensland region to represent and advance their interests in cultural and natural resource management. The primary aim of SEQTOA is to develop wider engagement of traditional owners in cultural and natural resource management, in which water is acknowledged to play a central role.
Organisations responsible for water management
Seqwater provides water to local government water retailers. Organisations responsible for water management in the South East Queensland region are shown in Table R2.
| Organisation | Principal roles | Major storages managed by organisation |
|
Queensland Government Department of Environment and Heritage Protection |
Manages the health of the environment to protect Queensland's unique ecosystems, including its landscapes and waterways as well as its native plants, animals and biodiversity. |
None |
|
Queensland Government Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing |
Manages national park, marine parks, forests, conservation parks, fish habitats, resource reserves and races. |
None |
|
Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy |
Manages through regulatory functions for the productive and responsible use of water, land, mineral and energy resources. Delivers innovative policy, planning and regulatory solutions in partnership with stakeholders to support cost-effective, safe, secure and reliable energy and water supply. |
None |
|
Queensland Government Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation |
Develops and coordinates science and information and communication technology policy, whole-of-government approach on innovation, supports and invests in research and development, manages state's intellectual property policy and assets. |
None |
|
Seqwater |
Surface water storage manager |
Hinze, Bromelton Off-Stream Storage, Cedar Grove Weir, Enoggera, Gold Creek, Atkinson, Clarendon, Bill Gunn, Lake Kurwongbah, Lake Manchester, Lake Maroon, Lake Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset, Wivenhoe, Little Nerang, Mount Crosby Weir, Leslie Harrison, Wyaralong, Baroon Pocket, Cooloolabin, Ewen Maddock, Lake McDonald, Poona and Wappa |
|
Tarong Energy |
Power generator |
Splityard Creek |
|
Queensland Urban Utilities |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
|
Council of the City of Gold Coast |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
|
Logan City Council |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
|
Redland City Council |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
|
Unitywater |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
|
Toowoomba Regional Council |
Urban utility: retail |
Cressbrook and Perseverance |
|
South Burnett Regional Council |
Urban utility: retail |
None |
The Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) coordinates centralised provision of water data for almost all Queensland water management entities.
Organisations managing surface water and groundwater
Seqwater is the resource operations licence holder for all but one of the water supply schemes in the South East Queensland region.
Toowoomba Regional Council is the resource operations licence holder for the Cressbrook Creek Water Supply Scheme. Resource operations licence holders manage the surface water infrastructure associated with the water supply scheme including reservoirs, dams and weirs within the scheme in accordance with the water management protocol and operations manuals. Resource operations licence holders also administer the announced allocations within the scheme, calculating the announced allocation using the methodology stipulated in the resource operations plan. Resource operations licence holders monitor water levels at various points within the scheme to ensure compliance with the plan requirements. In addition to managing surface water storages within the scheme, Seqwater also manages a number of reservoirs, dams and weirs on watercourses outside of the water supply scheme, mainly for the purpose of supplying the South East Queensland region with water from its unsupplemented licences for urban use.
Organisations managing urban water
Seqwater manages more than $11.9 billion of water supply assets, including dams, weirs, conventional water treatment plants, reservoirs, pumps and pipelines, the Gold Coast desalination plant and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme, collectively known as the South East Queensland Water Grid (SEQ Water Grid). More than 600 km of reverse flow pipelines enables drinking water to be transported according to need throughout the grid.
Seqwater also manages recreation facilities that provide more than 50% of the green space in South East Queensland outside of national parks. They have a range of other obligations, such as the management of water quality in accordance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011.
In 2017, Seqwater published the second Water Security Program, including a detailed drought response plan; the plan includes a new drought readiness phase to better prepare the region for the possibility of drought, and explains the proposed use of the SEQ Water Grid to reduce and delay the impact of water restrictions in the event of a drought, and in turn the need for expensive contingency infrastructure. During the 2016–17 year, Seqwater completed upgrades to: Somerset and Wappa dams; Mount Crosby East Bank, Landers Shute, and North Pine water treatment plants; and the Ashgrove to Enoggera pipeline. Refurbishment of the Somerset Hydro-Electric Plant also continued: out of service since 2008, this plant is expected to come online ahead of the 2017–18 summer.
Queensland Urban Utilities, Unitywater, Council of the City of Gold Coast, Logan City Council and Redland City Council manage the water retail operations and also provide wastewater collection and treatment services for the relevant council areas, as shown in Figure R9.
Figure R9 Utility service areas in the South East Queensland region
Some areas of the South East Queensland region are not connected to the SEQ Water Grid and are instead provided with water and wastewater services by their local councils (part of Toowoomba Regional Council, and part of South Burnett Regional Council which receives water from Boondooma Reservoir located outside the region).