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WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE GREATER METROPOLITAN REGION GROUNDWATER SOURCES 2011 - REG 16 Establishment and maintenance of planned environmental water

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE GREATER METROPOLITAN REGION GROUNDWATER SOURCES 2011 - REG 16

Establishment and maintenance of planned environmental water

16 Establishment and maintenance of planned environmental water

(1) Planned environmental water is established and maintained in these groundwater sources as set out in this clause.
(2) Planned environmental water in these groundwater sources is established as follows:
(a) it is the physical presence of water that is within the groundwater storage of these groundwater sources over the long-term, and
Note : Groundwater sources generally store large volumes of water, often accumulated over thousands or even tens of thousands of years. The amount of annual recharge is often very small compared to this stored volume. This Plan does not allow access to the storage component of the groundwater resources over the long-term. This means that, over the long-term, the storage component of the groundwater resources will not be depleted as a result of extraction.
(b) it is the long-term average annual commitment of water as planned environmental water in:
(i) the Botany Sands Groundwater Source that is equal to 50% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 95% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Botany Sands Groundwater Source is estimated to be 30,424 megalitres per year (ML/year).
(ii) the Coxs River Fractured Rock Groundwater Source that is equal to 75% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Coxs River Fractured Rock Groundwater Source is estimated to be 67,087 ML/year.
(iii) the Goulburn Fractured Rock Groundwater Source that is equal to 75% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Goulburn Fractured Rock Groundwater Source is estimated to be 259,784 ML/year.
(iv) the Hawkesbury Alluvium Groundwater Source that is equal to 50% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Hawkesbury Alluvium Groundwater Source is estimated to be 5,043 ML/year.
(v) the Maroota Tertiary Sands Groundwater Source that is equal to 40% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 95% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Notes :
1 At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Maroota Tertiary Sands Groundwater Source is estimated to be 1,075 ML/year.
2 At the commencement of this Plan, no high environmental value areas have been identified in the Maroota Tertiary Sands Groundwater Source.
(vi) the Metropolitan Coastal Sands Groundwater Source that is equal to 50% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 95% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Metropolitan Coastal Sands Groundwater Source is estimated to be 60,802 ML/year.
(vii) the Sydney Basin Blue Mountains Groundwater Source that is equal to 75% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 95% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin Blue Mountains Groundwater Source is estimated to be 78,474 ML/year.
(viii) the Sydney Basin Central Groundwater Source that is equal to 75% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin Central Groundwater Source is estimated to be 229,223 ML/year.
(ix) the Sydney Basin Coxs River Groundwater Source that is equal to 40% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin Coxs River Groundwater Source is estimated to be 31,312 ML/year.
(x) the Sydney Basin Nepean Groundwater Source that is equal to 40% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin Nepean Groundwater Source is estimated to be 244,483 ML/year.
(xi) the Sydney Basin North Groundwater Source that is equal to 75% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan,
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall rechargee for the Sydney Basin North Groundwater Source is estimated to be 269,187 ML/year.
(xii) the Sydney Basin Richmond Groundwater Source that is equal to 40% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan, and
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin Richmond Groundwater Source is estimated to be 127,878 ML/year.
(xiii) the Sydney Basin South Groundwater Source that is equal to 50% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from non-high environmental value areas and 100% of the long-term average annual rainfall recharge from high environmental value areas at the commencement of this Plan, and
Note : At the commencement of this Plan, the long-term average annual rainfall recharge for the Sydney Basin South Groundwater Source is estimated to be 225,326 ML/year.
Notes :
1 Recharge is defined in the Dictionary section of this Plan. The recharge estimates for these groundwater sources are based on rainfall infiltration.
2 The portion of recharge reserved for the environment is not the same for every groundwater source, because of the different levels of socio-economic reliance and environmental values for each groundwater source.
3 For the purposes of this Plan, "high environmental value" areas are national parks, nature reserves, historic sites, Aboriginal areas, State conservation areas and karst conservation areas.
4 Part 12 allows for amendments to be made to clause 16 (2) (b).
(c) it is the water remaining after water has been taken pursuant to basic landholder rights and access licences in these groundwater sources, in accordance with the rules specified in Part 6 and Part 8 of this Plan.
(3) The planned environmental water established under subclause (2) (a) is maintained by the rules specified in Part 6 of this Plan.
(4) The planned environmental water established under subclause (2) (b) is maintained in these groundwater sources by the rules specified in Part 6 of this Plan.
(5) The planned environmental water established under subclause (2) (c) is maintained in these groundwater sources by the rules specified in Part 6 and Division 2 of Part 8 of this Plan.
Note : The rules in Part 6 of this Plan ensure that there will be water remaining in these groundwater sources over the long-term by maintaining compliance with the long-term average annual extraction limit. The rules in Part 6 provide for the reduction in available water determinations if, in the Minister's opinion, assessment of average annual extractions against the long-term average annual extraction limit under clause 28 demonstrates that annual extractions in one of these groundwater sources has exceeded the long-term average annual extraction limit.