Water Plan (Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers) 2017 (Qld)

Water Plan (Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers) 2017

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Short title This plan may be cited as the Water Plan (Great Artesian Basin and Other Regional Aquifers) 2017.

2 Commencement This plan commences on 2 September 2017.

3 Purposes of plan The purposes of this plan are— (a) to define the availability of water in the plan area; and (b) to provide a framework for sustainably managing water and the taking of water in the plan area; and (c) to identify priorities and mechanisms for dealing with future water requirements; and (d) to provide a framework for reversing, if practicable, the degradation of groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

4 Definitions The dictionary in schedule 6 defines particular words used in this plan.

5 Meaning of groundwater-dependent ecosystem (1) A groundwater-dependent ecosystem is the ecosystem of a spring or watercourse that is maintained by water that flows naturally from a groundwater unit in the plan area. (2) Also, the ecosystem of the Yelarbon Desert is a groundwater-dependent ecosystem.

Part 2 Plan area and water to which plan applies

6 Water to which plan applies This plan applies to the following water in or from the groundwater units in the plan area— (a) underground water; (b) water in springs.

7 Plan area This plan applies to the area shown as the plan area on the map in schedule 1.

8 Groundwater units (1) The plan area is divided into groundwater units. (2) Each part of the plan area shown as a groundwater unit on a map in schedule 2 is a groundwater unit for this plan. (3) A groundwater unit is comprised of the water in and from the geological formations that are— (a) located in the area of the groundwater unit; and (b) stated for the groundwater unit in schedule 3. (4) A reference in this plan to a groundwater unit by name is a reference to the groundwater unit in schedule 2 with that name.