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National Water Account 2019

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Key findings

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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 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 are prepared under Section 42 of the Water Act to advance the sustainable management of water. The Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007 applies to all surface water in the region.

 

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 Groundwater Management Area 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 provided in the scheme’s operations manual.
• The Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007 also applies to subartesian groundwater within the Giru Benefited Groundwater Area. The groundwater within this area is 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

• In accordance with the Water Act, the Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007 defines the environmental flow objectives and ecological outcomes for the region.
• 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.
• Further information regarding environmental water provisions for the 2018–19 year is provided in the Cultural and environmental water note in 'Supporting information'.

 

Cultural water management

• The water plan supports water-related cultural values in the region, including the values of the traditional owners in the plan area. The plans provide mechanisms that support water being made available for Indigenous communities dependent on water resources in the plan area to achieve their economic and social goals.
• Traditional water users are protected through the provision of environmental flows, and special protection for water holes of cultural significance.
• More information on the cultural water provisions for the region are available in the Water plan (Burdekin Basin) 2007.

 

Organisations responsible for water management

 

Table R1 Organisations responsible for water management in the Burdekin region

Organisation	Role	Water resources managed
Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy	water resource planning managing and allocating water resources policy advice to government	Regulate and manage unsupplemented surface water and groundwater licenses;Regulate the water sharing rules for supplemented waterRegulate and manage unsupplemented surface and groundwaterRegulate Resource Operating Licence holdersRegulate water supply scheme operators (supplemented water)
Department of Energy and Water Supply	regulate water service providers	none
SunWater	manage surface water storages deliver bulk water to urban retailers manage the water supply schemes	all storages (see Figure R4 in 'Geographic information')
Lower Burdekin Water	manage the water infrastructure associated with the water supply schemes undertake activities to replenish the groundwater store in the Burdekin delta aquifer	none
Burdekin Local Management Arrangements Interim Board	investigate local management arrangements for SunWater assets	none1
Queensland Water Directorate (Qldwater)	Central advisory and advocacy body within Queensland's urban water industry working with members to provide safe, secure, and sustainable water services to Queensland communities	none
Local councils: Townsville City Mackay City Whitsunday Regional Burdekin Shire Charters Towers Regional Barcaldine Regional Isaac Regional	provide the distribution and retail of potable water to customers collect and treat wastewater	Paluma Dam (Townsville City Council) and Charters Towers Weir (Charters Towers Regional Council)

 Notes:

1. If 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.