Northern Territory Groundwater Management Units 20140630

Abstract

This dataset and its metadata statement were supplied to the Bioregional Assessment Programme by a third party and are presented here as originally supplied.

Northern Territory Water Allocation Plan Areas - Water Allocation Plans aim to ensure the equitable sharing of available water between users, to protect the environment and to ensure the long term sustainability of the water resource. They usually occur in regions where there are competing demands for water, there is a risk from water use to significant environmental values, or a need to manage the whole system (surface water and groundwater resources) due to significant inter-connection.

Dataset History

Through the Water Act, water control districts and water allocation plans, the Northern Territory Government is striving to achieve a sustainable balance between development and conservation so that residents, tourists and businesses can continue to enjoy the benefits derived from river and groundwater systems that are properly managed.

The Act provides the legal framework for the allocation of water to various declared beneficial uses including; agriculture, aquaculture, public water supply, stock and domestic use and industry while ensuring that adequate provisions are made to maintain cultural and environmental water requirements.

The Act allows for the declaration of water allocation plans within water control districts, ensuring water is equitably managed to preserve quality of life and the integrity of the water dependent ecosystems in the region.

A water allocation plan details the area and water resource to which the plan applies as well as the vision, objectives, strategies and performance indicators of the plan. It also sets limits to the availability of water assigned to each beneficial use, rules for managing licences and the rules for water trading.

The benefits of this water allocation planning process are:

A transparent stakeholder driven plan that will protect environmental and human interests;

Secure water extraction licences for the duration of the water allocation plan;

An assurance that licences to extract water (from a source defined within the plan) will not be issued if they are deemed to have unacceptable repercussions on other beneficial uses, especially the environment;

Establishment of a basis for the permanent trade of water from one location to another (within the area defined by the plan) subject to various rules;

Protection of water related cultural values within the region; and

Protection of water dependent ecosystems within the region.

Dataset Citation

NT Department of Land Resource Management (2014) Northern Territory Groundwater Management Units 20140630. Bioregional Assessment Source Dataset. Viewed 09 October 2017, http://data.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/dataset/01c48600-f9d3-42b6-8449-d2c5f40ef26f.