National Water Account 2018

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Key findings

Climate and water

Water Accounting Statements

Supporting information

Region description

Reference information

Burdekin: 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.
• Water plans may be prepared for, but are not limited to, the purposes listed under s. 38 (3) of the Water Act. The Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007 is currently in place to manage all surface water in the Burdekin region and also includes some subartesian groundwater (managed as surface water) known to be in hydraulic connectivity with the surface water system.

Water management plans

• There are three documents which guide water management in the Burdekin region; the Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007, the Burdekin Basin water management protocol and a policy on water sharing for the Burdekin GMA under the Water Regulation 2016.
• The water management protocol contains water sharing and water allocation dealing rules for the permanent trading of supplemented and unsupplemented water in the plan area. It also contains seasonal water assignment rules for unsupplemented water. Supplemented rules for water supply schemes are now found in the scheme’s operations manual.
• The Giru Benefited Groundwater Area is also included within the Water plan 2007 as the subartesian water within this area is considered to be hydraulically connected to the surface water, and is managed as surface water within the Burdekin Haughton water supply scheme
• More information on these water management plans for the Burdekin region is provided at the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy website.

Environmental water management

• Water plans are produced in accordance with the Water Act 2000. These must establish environmental flow objectives and ecological outcomes and consider environmental values listed in the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009.

• Environmental flow objectives aim to retain certain temporal flow characteristics at different locations in the river system. These are met through rules which govern storage releases and allowable abstraction.
• 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 Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007.

Cultural water management

• Almost all the basins in Queensland have water plans in place.
• Traditional water users are protected through the provision of environmental flows, and special protection for water holes of cultural significance.

Organisations responsible for water management

¹If local management arrangements are implemented the Giru and Val Bird weirs may be transferred to the
local board.

• Other councils that have part of their administrative area within the Burdekin region include: Etheridge Shire Council, Tablelands Regional Council, Flinders Shire Council, and Hinchinbrook Shire Council.