Proposed amendment 2013

This amendment will introduce a mechanism to specify the form (format) of water information. An online Administrative Instrument will set out requirements for certain organisations to provide water information in specified formats, such as the Water Data Transfer Format (WDTF).

When the Regulations are amended, the Director of Meteorology will approve the Administrative Instrument which we will publish on the Bureau's website. The requirements contained in the Administrative Instrument and any subsequent revisions will take effect six months after publication. The requirements will affect organisations in a staged process, beginning with lead water agencies.

The table below shows the planned schedule for introducing format requirements for specified Person Categories and Water Information Categories. However, the implementation dates of these requirements depend on the following:

  • the Bureau's need to service products
  • our capacity to ingest and publish the particular data
  • our ability to provide support to affected data providers.

The Bureau will notify affected organisations in advance of changes or additions to the requirements set out in the Administrative Instrument.

The amendment will also bring requirements for the provision of National Groundwater Information System (NGIS) information into the Regulations by adding a new category of water information (Category 12 – Information about bores and aquifers). Lead water agencies will be required to give NGIS information under Category 12.

Proposed schedule for specifying format
Information Category Specified Format Person Category required to comply Date by which data must be given in specified format
1 – Surface water resource information
2 – Groundwater resource information
3 – Storage information
4 – Meteorological information
5 – Water use information
9 – Water quality information		 Water Data Transfer Format (WDTF) version 1.0.2 A September 2013
6 – Water trades and entitlements CSV A September 2013
8 – Water restrictions Text entries via Water Restrictions web portal A, B, F* September 2013
3 – Storage information WDTF C – hydroelectricity generators
D – major storage operators		 Not before March 2014
6 – Water Trades and Entitlements WDTF A – Lead Water Agencies
E – Rural Water Utilities		 Not before March 2014
1 – Surface water resource information
2 – Groundwater resource information
3 – Storage information
4 – Meteorological information
5 – Water use information
9 – Water quality information		 WDTF E – Rural Water Utilities Not before September 2014
1 – Surface water resource information
2 – Groundwater resource information
3 – Storage information
4 – Meteorological information
7 – Urban water management
9 – Water quality information		 WDTF F – Urban water managers Not before September 2014

* note that the Regulations currently require Category A, B and F organisations to provide information on water restrictions (Category 8 information) via the web portal.


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