DRAFT - Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019 – 2029 ; Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019 – 2029

Abstract

Northern Territory Government ; Water allocation plans are established under section 22B of the Water Act 1992, which states (in part) that water resource management in a water control district is to be in accordance with the water allocation plan declared in respect of the district. This Draft Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019-2029 applies to all groundwater within the Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer (ODA) and all surface water discharges derived from that aquifer. It provides the basis for decisions on the management of the ODA; that is it recommends allocation strategies and principles to protect the environmental and cultural values of the Daly and its tributaries, while optimising the beneficial uses of the ODA for sustainable development. The Plan's principal objectives are to: • protect the environmental and cultural values of the region, particularly focusing on groundwater base flows to the Daly River and other groundwater dependent ecosystems • protect existing consumptive beneficial uses of groundwater • enable development of the groundwater resource to realise its potential for use in the region • communicate plan objectives, management principles and resource status • establish a framework for learning and continuous improvement to maximise environmental, social and economic outcomes. The plan seeks to protect the unique Daly River system. Its environmental values include its diverse aquatic fauna with two nationally threatened elasmobranchs (sharks/rays/skates), nearly 100 recorded species of fish and eight of the nine species of freshwater turtle found in the NT. These rely on the unbroken dry season river flows which occur because of groundwater discharge from the ODA. Groundwater discharge occurs at distinct point source springs, broad seepage zones along the river banks and as concealed springs and seepage zones in the river bed. Maintaining these discharges and dry season flows by not extracting too much groundwater or surface water from the system is the key to their protection. ; Key Points -- Summary -- Recognition of Traditional Ownership -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Title -- 1.2 Plan area -- 1.3 Date of effect -- 1.4 Period of effect -- 1.5 Plan context -- 1.5.1 Regional landscape and land uses -- 1.5.2 Regional economy -- 1.6 Legislative Framework -- 1.6.1 Water Act 1992 -- 1.6.2 Water allocation plans -- 1.6.3 Northern Territory Water Allocation Planning Framework -- 1.6.4 Strategic Aboriginal Water Reserve -- 1.7 Plan development pathway -- 2 Purpose and objectives -- 2.1 Purpose -- 2.2 Objectives -- 2.3 Values of the ODA -- 2.4 Beneficial uses and water quality objectives -- 3 Water resources (availability and condition) -- 3.1 Climate and rainfall -- 3.1.1 Future Climate -- 3.2 Surface water resources -- 3.2.1 Surface water quality and river health -- 3.3 Groundwater resources -- 3.3.1 Groundwater management zones -- 3.3.2 Groundwater Quality -- 3.4 Surface water groundwater connectivity -- 3.5 Hydrologic modelling -- 3.5.1 Groundwater modelling results -- 3.5.2 River flow modelling results -- 3.6 Natural Water Balance -- 4 Water uses -- 4.1 Water use overview -- 4.2 Non-consumptive use -- 4.2.1 Environmental water values and requirements -- 4.2.2 Cultural water values and requirements -- 4.3 Consumptive water values and requirements -- 4.3.1 Current consumptive water entitlements -- 4.3.2 Exemptions from licensing -- 4.3.3 Licensed extraction -- 4.3.4 Current consumptive water use -- 4.3.5 Future consumptive requirements -- 5 Estimated sustainable yield (ESY) -- 5.1 Estimated sustainable yield for the Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer -- 5.2 Allocation of water to beneficial uses -- 5.2.1 Non-consumptive beneficial uses -- 5.2.2 Water for consumptive use -- 6 Water management framework -- 6.1 Overview of plan objectives, desired outcomes, management strategies and performance indicators -- 6.2 Water accounting period -- 6.3 Protection of environmental and cultural values -- 6.3.1 Local scale environmental water – groundwater discharge protection areas -- 6.3.2 Aboriginal cultural values -- 6.3.3 Monitoring triggers -- 6.4 Licensing and other relevant regulation, policy and procedures -- 6.4.1 Licences -- 6.4.2 Licence conditions -- 6.4.3 Licensed use from SWR allocations -- 6.4.4 Licence security levels and reliability -- 6.4.5 Annual announced allocations -- 6.4.6 Return of unused water -- 6.4.7 Bore work permits -- 6.4.8 Consideration of applications for water for non-priority consumptive beneficial uses -- 6.4.9 Water trading -- 6.4.10 Exemptions from the requirement to hold a licence -- 6.4.11 Other relevant policies -- 7 Risk identification and mitigation strategies -- 7.1 Risk and uncertainty -- 7.1.1 Climate variability and change -- 7.1.2 Land use change -- 7.1.3 Caveats or limitations on the underpinning science -- 7.1.4 Surface water extraction and other unaccounted for water use -- 7.2 Risk assignment -- 7.3 Mitigation strategies -- 8 Implementation, monitoring and review -- 8.1 Adaptive management framework -- 8.1.1 Plan review -- 8.1.2 Adaptive management framework - licensing -- 8.2 Implementation -- 8.3 Reporting -- 8.4 Evaluating achievement of plan objectives -- Schedule A: Declaration of the Oolloo Dolostone Aquifer Water Allocation Plan 2019-2029 -- Schedule B: Notional allocations to SWR rights holders -- Schedule C: Risk definition and classification -- Glossary -- Abbreviations -- References ; Made available by the Northern Territory Library via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).