New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

WATER SHARING PLAN FOR THE LOWER LACHLAN GROUNDWATER SOURCE 2003 - REG 37

37 Water level management

(1) The Minister may declare that, in order to protect water levels within this groundwater source, local access rules are to apply in a defined area known as a local impact area.

(2) If water levels in any part of this groundwater source have declined to such an extent that an adverse impact is occurring, or is likely to occur, extraction from all water supply works (bores) nominated by an access licence within a local impact area declared under subclause (1) will be restricted to such an extent and for such time as is required to reinstate water levels to such a degree as to mitigate or avoid that impact.

(3) An adverse impact in subclause (2) will be considered to have occurred if the Minister considers that excessive drawdown has occurred, or if:

(a) the average of the seasonally recovered water levels over a 5 year period is not maintained within 10% of the total available drawdown below the initial seasonally recovered water level over the 5 year period, or

(b) if the seasonally recovered water levels are not maintained within 20% of the total available drawdown below the seasonally recovered water level at the commencement of this Plan.

Note: This clause recognises that in some locations, at certain periods of high groundwater demand, critical water level declines may occur, and that additional extraction limitations may be required. The Department of Land and Water Conservation will identify monitoring bores, and determine the method for specifying an affected area.